Death Wish
by Sareth-the-lost-one
Summary: After TM. A cry for help reaches Evelyn, from the creature she just thought had been killed in Egypt. She is not the only one trying to release Imhotep; darker forces are out there.Rick and police officer Cramer are on rescue mission. Whom can be trusted?
1. Chapter 1 No Light

All original characters are property of Stephen Sommers and Universal Pictures. No copyright infringement is intended.

(I'm no native speaker. My first fiction in English. Please have mercy, tried all I could for grammar correction.)

Background-story setting in Ancient Egypt is "Desperation", can be found here on .

**DEATH WISH**

**Chapter 1**

**"No light will ever touch me" (Blutengel, song "Gloomy shadows")**

=== Egypt / Hamunaptra ===

Darkness...unmoving never changing darkness. Pain and the remembrance of pain, endless entwining...invisible chains...

The entity once known as Imhotep was desperate. A desperation filling his whole dark universe. Endless desperation. Worst then the first time he was trapped here. Then, there was always hope, hope for redemption, for salvation, for his love. That one little sparkling at the end of a pitch black tunnel, which keeps the lost traveller alive and ongoing, whatever time it may take to reach the light. But now no light existed anymore.

No hope.

No hope at all.

His beloved was dead, forever. He failed in his task to bring her back to life and happiness. And even the small comfort being united with her in death was denied him - forever. The curse made him frozen between life and death, not able to die, only to suffer agony, not able to live either.

The curse...

_They _would try it again, would they? _They _who had assigned him for their dark plans for the first time, in the ancient days... who laid a spell on him when he was helpless to make him their tool for revenge, one day..._They _the dark ones, the shadows. Now he had failed to fulfil _their _plans as well... But would they rest? No... that was not their nature... They would not give up.

And he was even less capable of stopping them then in the ancient times. No hope. Trapped in darkness...

Desperation...

Till _they_ would come and arouse him.

NO! Help! He needed help! Help to stop them! Help to wake up and leave this unreal realm! Help to die! But who would help him, who COULD help him? With the sacred scriptures and the knowledge of the ancients long lost? The last precious book lost even here, under the crumbling stones of Hamunaptra.

No hope.

No hope at all.

There was no one out there in this incomprehensible new world, no force to rescue him. But no...Actually, there might be one. The woman who just helped in throwing him back into the darkness of this place! The one with the spirit and the courage of his beloved Ancksunamun. The one who freed him first and damned him again. Her name...

It was hard to focus his thoughts on the world of the living, of time and space outside this prison. But finally the name was in his mind again. And her face. Evelyn. Evelyn from the place named 'England'. The one who had so many traits of Ancksunamun... Where was she now? Nowhere near, for that he was sure, he could not feel her presence with his mental powers. He had to reach farther...

...

=== England / London ===

Evelyn Carnahan stood at the window of her richly decorated living room in her house, the heavy curtains brushed aside and her look fixed at the winter night outside. Trees covered with snow caps, some pedestrians hurrying to their vehicles or home.

Evie heard footsteps and turned around. Her brother Jonathan walked down the wooden staircase, barefoot.

"You'll catch a cold, you know," she said. "This is merry old England, not Egypt anymore."

"Yeah, perhaps…perhaps not a bad idea. Meredith will come and shepherd me…" he answered grinning, finally arriving at her side. "But what's bothering you, little sister?"

"Oh, stop calling me that! I'll be a married woman in less than three weeks!"

"I know. But what are you doing here in the middle of the night, Evie? You seem a bit ... concerned. Don't tell me you are second guessing your marriage." Jonathan tried to take it from the humorous side. "I already bought my gift for you..."

Evelyn hesitated. Should she tell what was bothering her? Or was it really just a little nervousness; the "ante-wedding-cold-feet", like one of her friends described it? She had not wanted talking to Rick about these... dreams, fearing he might think once more about the engagement. But her brother? Her sweet, protective brother Jonathan?

"Evie? Tell me what's going on? Forgive me, but you really look terrific!"

"Oh Thanks... you always knew how to cheer me up!" At least a tired smile was on her lips now. And she decided it was time to talk to someone other then her cat. "Do you remember how we escaped from Hamunaptra? The last moments there, after you read the incantation?"

"O my god, how could I forget, Evie?! The creepiest moments of my life, really! But you seemed like... uh... you could handle it rather well, my tough little sister!"

"I thought that... yes. But now I have those dreams. Since... let's say two weeks. And everytime exactly the same! I see his eyes, Imhoteps eyes. Only the eyes, like in the last moments before he drowned in this sort of pool. He looks at me. And I hear his voice, crying 'help me, help me'. I know, Jon, it sounds strange..."

"Indeed. This monster would be the last thing on earth calling for help, especially from you! Remember, he tried to kill us all, he tried to kill YOU! And besides, he is really dead this time."

"Are you sure? Perhaps... we haven't stabbed the vampire in the right place..." Her look belied the joke she desperately tried. She felt confused, sad and helpless, more than just frightened about an ongoing nightmare. "Jon, I know it's weird. I haven't had this dream in the first weeks after our return to England. Why now? What happens?"

"Afraid of the wedding date?" he teased, but seeing her expression his smile faded, too. "Perhaps you simply need some rest. Get away from it all." He gestured over the living room, filled with Egyptian artefacts, large piles of books and papers collected for a planned publication. "You and Rick should go on holyday... perhaps to Norway, far, far away from ancient Egyptian treasures, curses and mummies."

"Aw, what do you expect, giving up my work?" Evelyn knew she sounded cranky, but she couldn't help. She still felt slightly out of herself and she didn't believe that running away would achieve something. _Perhaps I should see a doctor_, she thought wryly. _A doctor telling me, that I should take a leave to Norway...This is all crazy…_

_...  
_

=== Egypt / Cairo ===

It was late afternoon and still very hot. The fan at the ceiling turned lazily but with innerving sounds. The chief of the Department for Antiquities, lately installed Robert Vauxley, sweated and hated his job. Well, he wanted the damned posting in the first place, yes, yes, yes. But someone had forgotten to tell him how annoying it could be and how hot... He was sure, someone had forgotten it to mention!

Vauxley looked up from the papers in front of him to his visitor: a young lady in black with the attire of a cobra. Certainly the sort of woman his mother warned him when he was a little boy.

"No," he repeated firmly. "No license for excavations at Hamunaptra, Madam Nais. I'm sorry. It's too dangerous with the natives right now. Too many attacks." He smiled and tried some small talk: "Besides... what wants a beautiful lady like you with this sandbox filled with ruins? It's nothing there worth any effort, according to the papers of the last expedition."

Not good. She looked like she would pierce him with a dagger, if she had one. Had she?!

He laughed a little nervously.

Meela Nais smiled coldly. "Good," she said to his surprise and stood up. "It is as it is. Bureaucracy."

"Yes. Bureaucracy." He leaned back.

The woman strode out of the office. The door closed she smiled again._ I'll get this license anyway. I only tried to make it less painful for you..._


	2. Chapter 2 Nightmare

**Chapter 2**

**"You are my nightmare, you are my destiny" (Blutengel, Song "Nightmare")**

=== England / London ===

_Help me - help me - help me!_

The painful gaze of dark, bottomless eyes pierced through her soul and shattered her dream world apart.

Evelyn woke up. She jumped out of her bed and switched the light on, as if to make sure she was home in England, chiding herself the same moment for acting like a little girl. Something was not right. She had had bad dreams and nightmares before, but this was totally different. _Evie, try to stay rationally- what could be? ... Well I could slowly going crazy and end up in a hospital. Good, not lost my humour anyway! _She took her dressing gown and went down into the hall, as usual, she commented herself. _An old lady wandering all night through her house, eh? _The house was empty. This time there was no Jonathan to talk to. He went off to the graduation party of an old friend, but Evelyn was not sure if he would be of any help right now, either. She let herself drop into the nearest chair, her glance wandering through the room and then resting on the Victorian cupboard vis-a-vis. The glass mirrored her face. She smiled absently, thinking of how 'terrific' her brother would describe her look again and -- screamed in shock. This face, those eyes, were not hers but HIS!

_HELP ME..._

Enough! This was enough!

Perhaps the dreams would simply fade if she was back there in Egypt, facing the sand and the ruins and the nightmare left behind some months ago. Not running away, but turning around, looking in the face of darkness and vanquish it by doing so. Like her father always said. Like a knight in tournament.

She stood up and began packing determinedly some stuff into a travelling bag. One moment she thought about calling Rick, but dismissed it. It would only cause him sorrow and trouble. She would write him a letter and explain everything. At least she hoped she would be able to explain...He should not think she would run away, shortly before her wedding!

For reasons she was not aware of, Evelyn put one of the artefacts from the glass case in the living room in her bag: a sceptre-like stick with the symbols of the Egyptian god Osiris on it. She didn't even notice it. Then she called a cab for the railway station.

Half an hour later she left her home.

One hour later a cautious burglar filing through the mansion realized that the precious prize for which he was hunting was no longer here. Had not his Mistress said he would find it right in this place?! Obviously she was mistaken... and he, the hunter, as good as dead, because she hated failure. Skilled as he was, he went unnoticed.

....

Rick O'Connel grabbed the other man at his collar and pushed him back against a book shelf. "WHAT? What do you say, Jonathan? You left her alone and you told me nothing?! You knew all that stuff and let her go? I just don't believe it! Are you out of your mind?!"

He had arrived midday after Evelyn left the house, and was getting more and more upset each hour. Jonathan was his first 'victim'.

"I didn't know anything, you maniac! What was I supposed to do? Lay her in chains? - Leave me or I call the police!"

Rick loosened his grip, and Jonathan began adjusting his suit, stepping back behind the desktop to be a little more secure from further attacks.

"Evie told me about strange dreams, and all I said was, she probably needed some rest and should go on a little holiday away from Egyptian stuff. Honestly! I couldn't imagine she just would go on a tour right to exactly this place!"

Rick paced in front of him like a tiger in his circus-cage. Abruptly he stopped and Jonathan took another step backwards.

"Rick, I --"

"Don't say anything!" He went over to the door.

"What do you have in mind?" Jonathan asked regardless.

"What do you think? I'll go and get my fiancée back before she gets into trouble!"

=== Egypt / Cairo / Police station ===

Detective Cramer sighed and stepped out of the morgue, followed by the forensic specialist and a junior officer.

"So, Mr. Vauxley was stabbed with a knife," he summarized the previous discussion.

"Not exactly a knife, Sir," the specialist cut in. "Not a knife as any street robber would use it, I mean, and nothing like the desert people use. Must have been a very sophisticated weapon, lean and sharp blade. Like a dagger from Italian Renaissance."

"Italian Renaissance? O leave me alone, Abbington!" Cramer buried his hands in his pockets. No cigarettes? Fine, his wife had removed them again! How much cruelty existed in the world? He sighed again and turned his thoughts to the matter at hand. It was bad enough finding the chief of the Department of Antiquities dead on the steps of the museum this morning. But murdered with an Italian dagger?! Abbington might be a specialist, but obviously sometimes his imagination was more then he could handle...

"I didn't say it WAS from Italian Renaissance, Sir. I meant something quite similar. Some sort of ritual weapon perhaps..."

Yes, this sounded much better, Cramer thought sarcastically and changed subject: "As far as now we can rule out the possibility of simple robbery. Nothing is missing in Vauxleys office or his home. For me it looks like he stuck his nose a little too far in some local business, involving women. We know he was'nt quite decent all the times, and we know how the natives react. One false look at a beautiful girl - and you have the whole family crying for revenge at your door. We should examine which people were the last on Vauxleys contacts and interview his friends, if he had such! - O'Neal?"

The junior officer blinked. "Sir?"

"Get me the confiscated items from Vauxleys office, and try to find the curator of the museum, this...Irving guy!"

"I already tried, Sir. He is missing, too..."

"Ah.... this looks like it'll be an interesting day...Get me a coffee and some cigarettes! Pronto!"

=== Outside Cairo / some desert camp ===

Palmtrees and sycamores. The noise of men feeding and drinking camels and the soft desert wind created a romantic atmosphere quite contrary to the one inside the nearest tent.

"I have the license and the seals. It was quite simple." The black clad woman smiled, her hand closed tightly around a leather purse with the precious documents.

"Means you killed him?" asked the men in front of her, a dark skinned Arab in the convenient local clothing. Till she had 'recruited' him, he was nothing more than a bandit leader, but perfect for her plans in his greed to have wealth and influence and.... her, of course. He had'nt noticed for the moment that this particular last thing would never happen as long as she was able to breathe.

"I released him from his miserable existence," Meela answered with a silky soft voice like someone talking about flowers and cute little children.

"And what if the police find out what's going on?"

"Do you have no trust in me, Khaled? The police will find nothing leading to us. And if so - we will be long gone by then. We will have found what we search for, and no one will stop us. - What's with your part of the deal? Did the honorable curator have the courtesy to join us?"

"It needed some... persuasion."

Meela nodded. This was of no importance. She followed the gesture he made and went over to one of the other tents. Shortly after she stood face to face with a tied-up man in his late fifties, who glowered at her with all dignity he could muster. Sir Marcus Irving, curator of the Museum of Egyptology in Cairo. "You will achieve nothing by kidnapping me!" he snapped now at her. "Nothing! The Crown of England will surely not give into such extortions!"

"Your crown does'nt interest me, and neither my men. We are no rebels, be assured. And when your... assignment is over, you are free to go." She took the brown envelope deposited on the diwan and checked it. Good, Khaled had taken the right one, at least judging after the notes...The photographs of the Book of the Dead, taken during the Carnahan-expedition some months ago! "My assignment? What do you mean, you desert witch?"

Meela shoved the photographs right under the curator's nose. "You will translate these for me! Phonetic transcription and Arab translation! Or you die!"

With this announcement she left Irving.

Khaled smiled as she returned, obviously anticipating some sort of reward. As she did nothing he decided to make a pass to his desired on his own.

"Stop that," Meela hissed. "You might regret it."

"I will regret nothing, be sure, my flower. And you ..." Very self-confident he pushed forward - and found himself on the back a couple of seconds later. He had forgotten her special fighting talents...

The woman looked at him with disgust and anger, her eyes narrow and cat-like.

"Do not dare touching me again, understood? Or our arrangement is over sooner than you may think!"


	3. Chapter 3 Feel me calling

**Chapter 3 "Can't you feel me calling, can't you feel me crying" (Blutengel, Song "The only one")**

=== Some days later / Brindisi in South Italy ===

Evelyn Carnahan waited impatiently in the line at the peer. The ship to Alexandria should depart soon, already the servant staff was pouring all over the place. Around Evelyn people were chatting and discussing the latest news from the papers. Some youth kissing in the afternoon sun and getting the reprimands of an older man mocking about the desastrous moral of the time. But there were only few passengers, business men the most, and the family of an Italian diplomat.

Evie shiftet her weight and held her little bag firmer. She was nervous, but couldn't determine exactly why. Okay she hadn't slept very well the past few days on the ferry and the train, she didn't knew if she had slept anyway, to be honest. A thing she was not too unhappy with, given the circumstances of her last nightly 'experiences' she didn't want to disturb other passengers by screaming and crying in her sleep… Nonetheless she didn't feel very exhausted; in opposite she was eager to get further on the way and a little frightened something or someone could hinder her. In the back of her mind she was worried. She wasn't behaving like she normally did. But the sorrows didn't have the power to break through into her conscience. It was something like a barrier holding them back. In some brief moments she nearly panicked, realizing what she was doing and where she was going, but she felt dragged to Egypt, to Hamunaptra by a force she wasn't able to explain and less to fight.

"Booooarding please, ladies and gentlemen!" shouted a voice in broad Italian over the peer and the chain on the gangway was opened.

=== Brindisi / Shipping company / Ticket office ===

"As I told you, Mister," the reply of the clerk came with heavy accent and sounded annoyed. "I can't do anything for you. I can't give you any information about our passengers! This would compromise the privacy guidelines of our company, you understand?" A forced smile gave a look on his gold crowned teeth.

"No, I understand NOT!" Rick O'Connel shouted clearly at the end of his patience.

"Miss Carnahan might be in danger and I want to know where she is! I NEED to know where she is, to hell with your guidelines! I will not let my wife –"

"As far as I got the picture, Mister, Miss Carnahan is not your wife. You're not related to her in any matter. You could be… well, Santa Maria!" He held up his hands. "I can't give you any information and I will not. Please Mister… I have lots of work to do. Be rational. If your girl left you that's horrible, I know, I know. But I can't help you!"

Rick wished he had brought Jonathan with him for the first time. At least he had the benefit of being Evies relative! _Evie! What are you doing, for heavens sake?! _In his desperation he chose a final option, took some bills out of his pocket and hastily handed them over to the surprised clerk. "Please… Is Miss Carnahan listed as passenger or not?"

The clerk cleared his throat, covered the bills with a quick move and began filing the book in front of him without further comment. After several minutes he said: "Evelyn Carnahan. On board of the 'Violetta'. Left this morning for Alexandria."

"Dammit! – And the next ship for Alexandria?"

"Tomorrow, Mister."

=== Egypt / Outside Cairo, some desert camp ===

Meelas hand dropped and her fingers clenched around the telegraphic message she just had read. The boy in front of her who handed it over changed his expression from eagerness to fear as he saw her eyes hardening. Then he fled without a word from the tent.

Khaled, waiting in the background, chuckled but fell silent too as Meela turned to him. If someone, this woman surely had the curse of 'bad look'!

"What is it? Trouble with the police because of our nice guest?"

"The sceptre of Osiris," she answered angrily. "It was not there!"

"Perhaps the English lady gave it to a museum?"

"I would have known that. I checked the specific news on all these matters! It SHOULD have been there in the mansion of Evelyn Carnahan. But it WASN'T!"

"An ancient Egyptian artifact cannot simply vanish into thin air."

"How smart!" Her gaze was really poisoned this time. "Someone must have taken it before my man arrived…"

"And what if he…?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Khaled. He wouldn't do such a thing, he is utterly loyal, I know him. And by the way, what should HE do with the sceptre? He can't sell it – I would find out easily. And he can't come and use it here, either. No… I think… SHE has it. Remember, my man said she wasn't at home, even if she was supposed to be."

"Madame Carnahan you mean? But what…"

"I don't know…" Meelas voice trailed off. Her instincts were suddenly alarmed like the ones of a predator out for prey. She couldn't see it, smell it, hear it yet, but she knew, the opponent was there. The one who could endanger her entire scheme… Under no circumstances she would allow any interference! She could not or _they_ would punish her… more than they ever had…

She turned her attention back to Khaled, regal again. "Did Mr. Irving make progress with the translation?"

Slightly embarrased by the sudden change of subject the man replied: "Almost finished, he said this morning. One or two days more."

"He has one! I will depart for Hamunaptra as soon as possible!"

"But… excuse me… what's the use of the magic spells if we do not have the sceptre? You yourself said it would be important for the completion of the… uhm… of the process?"

"Yes. I said that. But there are still other ways. It would be the easiest way with the sceptre, but… it's not essential. We just have to find properly replacements. Don't worry, Khaled. See to it, that everything is ready for departure tomorrow, that's all I ask."

=== Cairo / Police station ===

Detective Cramer hurled the Morning News in the bin and sipped some of his Arabic coffee, very hot, very strong and extremely sweet. The Commander in Chief of the British Forces in Egypt was found assassinated. The traces left all pointed out to these terrorist independence supporters. In a couple of days, Cramer thought, it could be very hot down here, and not because of the sun… And he and his department were still working on the case of the murdered Chief of the Antiquities department and the missing curator of the museum. Heavens! He was pretty sure that all this was nothing but a good manoeuvre to lead the police astray! He glanced at the framed picture of the new Egyptian King Fouad I. and silently wished the British monarch George V. back in this place at the wall. He had retained his job after the recent political changes, but it became more and more difficult to 'keep everything in order', as he said - meant 'British Order'.

Through the glass in the door Cramer saw his assistant arriving. Hopefully with good news…

"Sir," O'Neal bursted in, "I've found the missing items of the museum!"

"You FOUND them?"

"Uhm… I meant, I know now what's missing, Sir! Was kinda hart to decipher with all those precious thingies around, but…"

"Ok. What is it then?" Cramer wasn't in the mood for padding the shoulders of his assistant.

"Photographs, Sir."

"Photographs?" And the burglars left all these precious jewels and gold in place? Unbelievable!

"Yeah, Sir, as I said. Photographs of the pages of the Egyptian "Book of the Dead". He pulled an old newspaper from his pocket and handed it over. Cramer looked at some smiling people, of which one – ah, the missing curator – held an enormous folio in his arms. Obviously the picture war taken somewhere during an archaeological dig, as the ambiance told him.

"So, this should be the "Book of the Dead", O'Neal?"

"Yeah, Sir! It was found last year during the Carnahan expedition… and lost shortly after."

"Well, this was the best they could do with it: dropping. Made it disappear from the public…" Cramer sighed.

"Why?"

"Because this thing cries fake so loud that even in London the people must hear it! Even I know that the Ancients didn't have BOOKS like we do today, but papyrus SCROLLS! This was some publicity trick, and it seems our good Marcus Irving fell for it…."

"But…uhm… Sir, this is a special book! Some sort of engraving in pure gold! And it is said to do magic stuff!"

Cramer glared at his assistant and then said tiredly: "O'Neal, shut up! It's 9 o'clock in the morning, I have no cigarettes and now YOU are trying to romance something about old magic books?! This whole country is going mad…"

=== Egypt / Hamunaptra ===

The entity could sense the approaching, both of his desired redeemer and the ones out for eternal punishment. But as he was locked here in this semi existence outside the world all he could do was hoping for HER to reach him in time… Evelyn. At least she was coming at all! It was straining to reach her over and over again with mental powers. And it would only hasten the _others_ in their plans.

Dark, frenzy shadows… Greedy and hungry for revenge…

Defied by the gods, by the powers of light aeons ago they had an eternity to become their rage itself…

All they needed once again was a weapon to unleash…And he did not want to be it again.


	4. Chapter 4 Life again

**Chapter 4**

**"A thunder storm that calls your name, life kneels to kiss you once again. " (Blutengel, Song "Singing dead me**n")

=== Again some days later / Egypt / Hamunaptra ===

A lamp in her hand Evelyn crawled forward over the sand and gravel that filled the ancient corridor till she arrived at something like a vertical shaft. Exactly like in the dream she had last night! The whole site had collapsed last year and buried the old entrance and its annexes when she and the others barely escaped. But it seemed that some of the old ventilation shafts, cut through the rock for the ancient workers were unharmed. And so she kept moving, her heart fluttering. Her shorts and shirt soon hanged in pieces and she ripped of the skin of her hands and knees without even feeling any pain. She was out here all alone, but it didn't scare her.

_Down…down… down… reach him_

No other thought had room in her head right now.

Suddenly the shaft ended. Evelyn stumbled over a cracked column. The light of the lamp flitted over the debris of ancient stones with relics of paint and gold. Some rats hurried back into the darkness with high pitched shrieks. Evelyn struggled to her feet and took a look around. Yes, these were the remains of the chamber in which Imhotep tried to sacrifice her. And she was here to… help him?!

But before her suddenly alarmed mind could react, was HIS voice inside it, again.

_Help me! You are close!_

She held her lamp higher, but nothing than stones and broken statues was to be seen so far. Uncertain, she stepped forward again flushing a rat. Finally she saw the skeletonised figure on the ground, half melted into the amber like stone. And she heard whisper herself the sacred words of the 'Book of the Dead' used so careless the first time, and forever memorized. Now she perfectly knew the meaning of every letter. One by one they were drawn from her.

…

In a flash the unreal, intangible walls of his prison exploded and the entity was thrown back in a timely existence. A confusing maelstrom of impressions flowed all at once over his senses and for a brief instant he wanted nothing more than flee and hide back in the painful yet familiar prison of darkness. But this was not possible. He had wanted it that way!

He could move now... a little at least. And see. There she was, right in front of him, a lamp at her feet and the sceptre of Osiris in her hand. Evelyn. She looked beautiful and terrified. And so much of Ancksunamun radiated from her, even now, without moving or saying anything. Not her face, but her mind, her will - so much alike. Such painful reminder...

_Ancksunamun... my love... my live... all lost...forever..._

Focus. He needed to focus, not drift away in ancient memories. Or really ALL would be lost.

"Give me the sceptre!" His voice sounded unearthly and frightening, and his look was even more, he knew.

The woman didn't move, just stared. The ground shook slightly.

"Give it to me! There is not much time to complete the process! I know, _they_ are here, too!"

Still no response Imhotep tried to reach her mind as before. _Can't you see it, I'm no danger right now, but I will become soon, if you don't help me! Evelyn! The sceptre! I NEED it! _But now she was so submerged in fear and panic, he could not get through.

Evelyn was immobilized. "Give me the sceptre!" The horrifying dead and yet living creature in front of her stretched its arm and its bony fingers.

In God's name, what was she doing here, what HAD she done?! The trance like haze, which had been over her mind since this journey's begin, was gone. The earth trembled, and a roaring thunder sounded through the underground. An earthquake?

_Or the abyss of hell reopened because of my stupidity?!_ The sceptre held tightly against her chest she moved backwards.

"Give me the sceptre!" the creature howled, but failed to reach her.

Another trembling, stronger this time, gravel and rocks falling, burying the last remnants of this place under a ravine of debris. Evelyn tried impulsively to protect her head and lost her firm grip of the sceptre. It rolled down, immediately out of her view and covered by sand and stone some seconds later. Then she lost her ground, as the nearest wall broke and came down with an infernal thunder.

_O I was so stupid...Rick... forgive me..._

The darkness swallowed her.

...

"I TOLD you not to use dynamite, you ignorant fool!" Meela was infuriated. "I should have chosen another man for the task! Someone with a little more intellect than an INSECT'S!" _But he might be a good resource for flesh and blood, after all..._

"But Madam, we were close, and some large rock blocked further access to the underground..."

"And now you might as well have ruined EVERYTHING!" She spun around, looked in the face of the other workers. "Continue! And if our prize is destroyed, I swear I let everyone pay for it!"

She walked over to her nearby tent, but barely reached it before a strange dark and shadowy silhouette floated through her and sent her unconscious to the ground.

_Don't worry..._ a voice echoed through her mind. _All will be arranged. Free is what must be free to fulfil the time... Strengthen your senses...you may feel the presence like we do..._

She startled, sat up and looked into Khaleds eyes. "What... what are you doing here?"

"Well, you passed out, and Achmad send for me."

"I had...a vision again."

The answer made Khaled uncomfortable. Visions, magic, all this stuff always left him with uneasy feelings, especially when Meela was involved. Then she seemed dangerous, of a kind he could not overcome be force or weaponry or whatsoever. Deep in his mind he had to admit, she scared him in these minutes and he didn't even want to touch her.

"A vision whereof?"

"He is free. Someone already has woken the creature up, Khaled."

He felt his throat contract. "This murderous demon is outside his prison without our... control?"

"Yes." Meela closed her eyes. _Strengthen your senses... you may feel the presence like we do..._ But for now she wasn't able to feel anything in this direction.

"Let your men search the area!"

.....

Footsteps... heavy boots...Flickering lights behind her closed eyelids... voices...Arab language... cold air...she must be outside the cave... somehow managed to escape... The voices were near now.

With considerable effort Evelyn opened her eyes. It was dark. Only a small part of the sky was visible through edgy rocks. The scheme of a man was cowering beside her, his body nearly covering hers. _Rick..._ Her head pounded and her mind was still blurred.

"Rick..." she mumbled. Almost instantly a hand fell on her mouth.

"Silence!" A voice whispered in her ear.

She needed a few seconds to seize the fact that it was spoken not in English nor in Arab, but in Ancient Egyptian. And another second to realize, that the man beside her only could be one person. Imhotep! Frantically, Evelyn struggled to fully wake up, to break free and scream for help. Without effect of course. He held her fixated to the ground with the weight of his body alone. She could feel his skin, his sweat and his breath against her cheeks.

_Fully regenerated, _the thought flashed up in her. _The sceptre of Osiris... He had used it, after all...What have I done...Raised a creature that will bring the end of the world...?!_

Gradually the voices and the footsteps faded into the night. With them Evelyns hope of getting out of this mess alive. She didn't know if she should cry or curse or all together.

Somewhat later, it seemed to her like hours, they were all alone. Evelyn tried to sit up and became aware that every part of her ached and burned. Obviously, she was in no good condition, certainly not in a condition to outrun the superhuman being she just had brought back into existence!

"I pulled you out. But you are hurt. I can help you."

She was too astonished to say anything.

"I have to thank you," he continued, "for coming and freeing me. I had almost given up any hope."

"I think... I had not much of a choice...you were in my mind." The thought let her feel sick.

"It was my only chance. The last possibility I had. I needed to be released before _they_ would do the work."

"They? The people just searching the area?" Not sure how to react she watched him examine her leg.

"No. They are only tools. I'm the weapon. They must not get me. Otherwise the dark ones will return."

Hearing these muttered words, Evelyn felt very much reminded of the Prophecies of Nostradamus. _Dark ones? Darker than YOU?_ He touched her again and instinctively she tried to get up, landing with a cry of pain on her knees.

"You must not be afraid. I was a healer in my time."

"Sorry... but your actions in THIS time were rather... destructive," she replied.

"I had no choice."

"That's what they all say, you know? Beating, raping, robbing, destroying, killing - but 'no choice'!

_My sense for arguing is coming back? Very well! _But she didn't know what specifically made her so angry right now. It was more than this... this THING sitting next to her, but at the moment she couldn't figure it out. At least the aching in her bones vanished under the effect of the exotic energies radiating from his hand.

"I had no choice," Imhotep repeated. "I was under the curse. Those savages trying to steal the canopic jars triggered it. I had to take them. - You don't trust me."

"Excuse me?!" Evelyn sat up. "Last time we saw you tried to kill me!"

"It was not my intention."

"Aw, I misjudged this big nasty knife in your hands?! And what about 'I need your organs'?!" _Sense of sarcasm was also returning, quite well. I might have a chance..._

He gripped her wrists, suddenly very angry, and Evelyn felt cold shiver running down her neck. Perhaps she really talked too much... like her teacher always said...

"You understand nothing! There are forces you do not know! You do not wish to know! - Come! You must be able to go now!"

Slowly she stood up, becoming aware of the miserable condition of her clothes. _Looks like I've just paid a visit to hell…Well, actually I have… I need something… _Her glance rested at her unwanted companion. _No, WE need some decent clothing… What I'm thinking at all?!_

"We have no more time to lose! I still need your help!"

"Help?" Evelyn tried in vain to put her ragged clothes together. "As far as I know the one cursed with the Hom-Dai is an omnipotent being, able to change form and matter and indestructible." _And you let me set it in motion again!_

"If I would use my powers. But then the dark ones will get control over me again. The curse must be annihilated, so I can die."

"You wish to… die?" Evelyn was really shocked this time. These were the last words she had expected from a… thing… which she just brought back to life!

"This astonishes you? Believe me, my only intention is to join the one I've lost so long ago."

She didn't believe him, at least not at the moment. But her choices were rather limited. So she managed "And what exactly do WE have to do? The Book of the Dead is lost, as is the Book of Amun-Ra."

"It's not a book I need. But the pectoral of the Pharao. The one with the sacred scarab made of the holy stone."

Cautious watching her feet while searching the way downwards Evelyn estimated the possibilities. A pectoral with a scarab? Quite a lot items fitted in this description!

"Could you be a little more specific? Which Pharao?" The same moment, she realized how stupid her question might sound – from his point of view. But it wasn't the first time he was freed into the mortal world, she remembered. He must have noticed the changes already…

"Pharao Seti wore it," Imhotep muttered. Obviously the sound of this name alone made him angry, Evelyn could sense it physically and she was afraid to press the topic. But there was no choice.

"Nothing was found in Seti's tomb. No treasures at all. Seems to have been robbed a long time ago," she said.

"Right punishment for his crimes! But… I don't think he would have been buried with the pectoral. After his death it belonged to his son. It is part of the ceremonial robes for the coronation and should ensure the protection of Ra for the new king."

"Ah, I understand. The crown jewels. It's passed from one to another, right? – Well, if that is so, it breaks down to a little less then 100 persons, assuming the Romans didn't take it after the death of Cleopatra…"

She stopped.

The thing-man-creature behind her leaned against a rock and looked up into the sky where the stars slowly faded in the dawn. "How many generations have passed since my… my damnation?" he asked. He looked so…human in this moment that Evie felt a pang in her stomach. _You don't pity him, actually, do you?!_ She reprimanded herself, but the thought of what it must feel to wake up nearly 3000 years in the future stuck to her.

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "It's more then 3000 years. But the last Pharaos reigned 2000 years ago." She sighed. "It will be the best way to look in the inventories of the museums. And… I need the most exact description of this jewellery you can give."

"Yes. I remember every little part of it. HE wore it the day he died. I remember every… little…part."


	5. Chapter 5 Kiss

**Chapter 5**

**"It seems so long ago that I kissed you, I remember everything" (Blutengel, Song "I Remember")**

=== The same night in Cairo ===

It was past midnight. Rick O'Connel moved through the still or yet again crowded streets, his body and his mind tensed and alert. He kept looking for Evelyn since he arrived here, as he had done in Alexandria before. He had asked various people, bribed some to say more, but so far without success. No one had seen Evie, no one heard of her! She had written him she wanted to face her nightmares…

He had thought she would go to Hamunaptra – or what was left of these ruins in the sand – after the things Jonathan told him about her dreams. But now he had serious doubts. She couldn't have gone alone, without anyone knowing or helping her! Or could she…? He knew she was sometimes too naïve… too adventurous and crazy perhaps. This was one of the reasons he loved her. But she was not irrational, not in that way!

Ricks steps had leaded him to one of the military bars and he let himself drop on a stool, ordering a Whiskey.

Three glasses of the golden shimmering liquid later, Rick felt even worse. He was an idiot, yes. And the people around him already started to make jokes about the poor Englishman who had lost his beloved. Fine! He was a looser. A lousy looser….

Another glass.

How Evie could be so selfish to leave him without saying anything useful? Why hasn't she asked him to come along? Why, why, why… And what the hell he should do now?!

A cry shook him up from the growing dizziness. He tried to stand up, clinging to the table and blinking through the smoky air. It sounded like a fight or something was going on outside. It might have been not SUCH a good idea to get drunk… Some British soldiers stormed out of the door, guests screamed. Rick fumbled for his gun, even if the weapon might not be of much use to him in his present condition. But it made him more comfortable to grab it! Not till then he understood what the people were yelling:

"The water! The water has turned into blood! The end of the world is coming!"

Now Rick wished desperately to not even have looked at the alcohol.

=== Hamunaptra ===

Imhotep breathed deeply and appreciated the sensation of the cold morning air, even if it made him shiver. It felt delicious, the taste of the mortal world again! Every faint smell from the desert around him, every breeze was to be savoured! Even the pain caused by the sharp stones cutting in his bare feet and hands – as short as it may have been for the immortal body he claimed his own. Cursed shall it be! He smiled sadly at the thought. Cursed he was, indeed…

The woman in front of him moved with grace through the rocky pathway. In the twilight of the beginning day he could almost think it was Ancksunamun. What other cruelty the gods had prepared? How was it possible? 3000 years… and there she was… her and not her. Evelyn his redeemer…And Ancksunamun, forever lost.

"Wait!" She had paused. Some hundred meters away a little tent camp had appeared behind the rocks. She wanted to give an advice the sort of 'it might be safer if we wait', but couldn't get that far. Lost in his thoughts Imhotep stumbled against her and trying to prevent her fall she reached out and accidentally came in contact with the pendant around his neck. White hot flashes twitched over her fingers. In an instant there were night and day and death and life all together, swirling around her.

Around… HER???

She still saw a hand touching the medallion with the god Osiris in its center. And it still was around the High priest's neck. But everything else…

....This was the past. HIS past. She heard a frightened voice whispering, but it was not her own, although the words came from her mouth: "Imhotep, he will let us both kill, if he finds us here!"

"We are deep under the sanctuary; this is holy ground, my love! No one enters here! We are safe! And the next few hours only belong to us!" He gently took her in his arms.

"I wish it could last forever!" Tears ran over her cheeks. "Oh, I hate him; I hate him as much as I love you!"

They fell into a passionate kiss, as if the existence of the world itself would be up to the fire of their union....

The strange mystic ambiance faded in a loud thunder. Disorientated, Evelyn winced and almost instantly looked up. Water? Raindrops?! It was dark again like in the middle of the night. Heavy storm clouds gathered together, nearly forming a tornado right over the rocks and setting free a series of blue flashes. Realizing that two strong hands hold her upright, Evelyn forced herself to avert her gaze from the menacing spectacle in the sky into the eyes of Imhotep. He also seemed a little disturbed. The pendant with Osiris had left a burning on his skin, which wasn't disappearing, unlike the bruises before.

"What… was that? Have you… experienced this, too?" She sincerely hoped not, it was embarrassing enough. Like seeing through the eyes of another person!_ Heavens! I kissed him! Okay, it was not "me" and it was not "him"…at least not the thing he is now…but… _

"The Dark Ones are full of fury," was all he said.

"It is… them?" She made a gesture to the brooding sky.

"They are so angry that they took visible form. But it can't last long. They haven't the power to stay in the mortal's world. Not yet…"

Crouched into a crevisse in order to stay dry, Imhotep tried to calm his racing mind. His hand touched the medallion. The burning was still there beneath it. It was a message of his god! It must be! But…what did it mean? A reminder, that he was doomed or a sign of hope? And why Evelyn had shared the vision? What was her part? He looked over to her. She clearly felt somewhat violated, but there was nothing he could have done about it. And the Dark Ones were alarmed, more then before.

….

Meelas men fought against the rain and the storm to protect the camels and the tents of this little camp. Already some smaller objects were hurled into the air and the animals cried in panic. But the anger of the nature was nothing compared to the one of their Mistress, at last in the opinion of the men. At the moment Meela was arguing with Khaled, or better she smashed him verbally.

"The men have searched, yes? And WHERE, if I may ask?" she hissed. "Why didn't they found him? Should I presume, that your precious, brave desert warriors were afraid, my dear?" The last word she said with such contempt that it made him feel very uneasy.

Yes, they were afraid, to say the least. And he the same. Meela had assured them all it would be safe. First she would awake the creature, and then restore it with the sceptre of Osiris. But now? Now this walking plague had been raised by SOMEONE obviously, and neither Khaled nor his men knew anything. Was the creature out there looking for their blood and flesh, lurking in the dark ready to kill? Who could control it? Meela said she would if the time came – but Khaled wasn't that sure anymore.

"We make another attempt if the storm settles, " he promised nonetheless.

"I hope so!" she urged, girding one of the dangerous daggers Khaled already had seen sometimes in action and hoped not to see one day guided against himself.

....

Mere suddenly the clouds dissipated and the darkness lifted its veils to the breaking day again. Golden morning light began to spread over the horizon and the first rays touched the battered ruins of Hamunaptra.

"We should hurry," Evelyn said. "I haven't a very good feeling sitting here like mice in a hole with a bunch of hungry cats outside. I have a camel downwards to the east, near the old city entrance. If the storm hasn't put the poor thing to flight, I mean. Let's –"

She never finished the sentence, because the large shadow of a man in brown-red Bedouin clothing showed up some metres above her, just unsheathing his scimitar.

The man opened his mouth to call for the others of the search party. But instead of a loud cry only a gasp came over his lips. Letting his sword drop, his hands flew to his throat and then he stumbled over the edge right next to the pale Evelyn. Imhotep's mien left no doubts that he was responsible.

"He would have killed you and bound me to a much more horrible fate."

"I... I try to...keep that in mind...But I thought you mustn't use your powers?"

He stood up.

"Yes. But there was no other way. I must be very careful now... Come! Indeed we must hurry!"

Evelyn took the lead for the last part of the way, very shaken and unsure about her choices. She had come here to face the nightmare. But not THAT literally! _My wedding is in only one week... I can't believe it, I'm walking here through the desert with this creature from hell! What will he do to me when all this is over? No, I don't want to think about that right now...I'm going to find a way out!_

The camel was waiting were she had left it, a little relief. The storm had blown the rests of a disheveled palm tree against its shoulder; it was frightened and baaed, but seemed unharmed so far. She caressed and appeased the animal with some quick words, while hastily searching in the saddle bags for a new shirt. It was a sunny morning now and she did not want to get caught half naked by whomever!

_You are an English lady, Evelyn Carnahan, said the voice of her father in her mind. O my god, how ridiculous this whole situation was! And she was so tired she almost burst out laughing. There were evil peopl__e behind her; ready to kill with scimitars and she had to think of her father and her first ball some years ago! _

Sensing piercing eyes in her back, she shouted "Don't look!" and grabbed the clothing she had found.

_And besides in front of a ...dead, half dead, undead or whatsoever... man who himself was dressed in little more than nothing... Ridiculous, really! _

Decidedly she mounted the camel and held her hand out for her companion. Imhotep still stared at her.

"Uh... it's harmless!" she assured him, surprised by his expression. "Didn't they have any riding camels in your time?"

"I had a litter carried by my servants."

"Well, I'm afraid this good fellow is all I have, and you'll have to mount or use some of your tricks to get away."

Now he climbed in the saddle behind her.

=== The same morning in Cairo ===

Detective Cramer gave the man sitting in front of him a tired and enerved look.

"Rick," he said, "the only, the VERY only reason that you're sitting here in my office and not in the drunk tank is that you're an old friend. Don't stretch it further."

"Please believe me, Gordon. This isn't some sick joke. It's serious!"

"Rick. I have an assassinated Commander in Chief, an assassinated head of the Antiquities department, rebels all over Egypt and right now moreover a couple of end-of-the-world prophets running through the streets, claiming that the Nile has turned into blood last night! Well, I checked it this morning, all was in perfect order."

"No, nothing is in perfect order! Hear me out…." O'Connel extracted a cigarette packet and held it with a promising wave under Cramers nose.

"Well….Player's Navy Cut…" the detective realized and sighed. "You know, this is bribery…" Nonetheless he took one of the already heavenly smelling cigarettes. "My wife will probably kill you, you know… Okay, I'm all ears! Tell me, what's going on!"

Rick took a cigarette himself and started: "It all began last year, during an excavation…"

"You mean a little grave robbing? Come on, I know you far too long!" Cramer's mood was rising rapidly now that he was surrounded by the Player's smoke.

"No…not exactly. Not from our part, at least. We had found a map leading the way to the lost city of Hamunaptra. And there we triggered an ancient curse by opening one of the sarcophagus…"

Cramer listened. He still found all this stuff of mummies coming to life, magic books and curses highly illogical. But if it was all some sort of trick by the muslim rebel movement, he had to investigate by all means.

In the middle of Rick's explanation the telephone ringed.

"O'Neal here, Sir!" His assistant shouted unnecessarily. "The police just has found curator Marcus Irving, Sir!"

"Dead or alive?"

"Alive! He said, was been kidnapped by some mad guys to translate his photographs of the 'Book of the Dead'! Crazy, isn't it?"

"The 'Book of the Dead'?" Rick interrupted the conversation, leaping from his seat. "Gordon, we must do something! This is dangerous! And Evelyn is out there!"

Two hours later Rick O'Connel and Detective Gordon Cramer had left Cairo and were heading southwards, leaving an all too happy and proud officer O'Neal in charge.

-----


	6. Chapter 6 Shadows calling

**Chapter 6**

**"Hörst du, wie die Nacht dich ruft, wie lange kannst du noch widerstehen?" (Do you hear the night calling you, how long can you resist?, Blutengel, Song "Schatten" (Shadows))**

(Author's note: The Ancient Egyptians didn't knew money/coins. This system was only introduced during the Ptolemaic rule, approximately 1000 years after Pharao Seti I.)

=== Early afternoon next day / Al-Jahira, the small town near Hamunaptra ===

Imhotep sat on the ground in one of this miserable little town's alleys. Evelyn was still sleeping at the side of the camel. She had practically dropped like dead as soon as they arrived in this place. Seeing a bazaar around the corner, he had taken the chance to find more suitable clothing – it was obviously that his appearance unsettled the people here. They pointed with fingers at him, chatted and giggled as if he was some sort of ape from southern Nubia! This was irritating. He had found a trader of these modern robes and paid him with one of his golden rings. The man had yelled and ranted in his strange tongue. Was it because the other people around him made their transactions in giving small round, worthless seeming pieces of metal or some sort of painted papyrus slices? He didn't understand, but he didn't want any more attention. Throwing yet another ring in the trader's display Imhotep retreated as fast as he could.

It was fare more comfortable the last time when he had this little Hebrew-speaking fellow named Beni doing this sort of business for him…

And now he was sitting here and waited impatiently. But he didn't want to wake up Evelyn; she needed her strength, HE needed her, and probably sooner than they might have thought. His eyes wandered over the nearby houses. A woman was busy taking her laundry from the wall. And beneath it, Imhotep spotted the fragments of an ancient bas-relief. He stood up, went over to look closer at the familiar shapes – and his eyes widened in shock and disbelief. This was a stone from a temple! And not any stone! This was the scene with the holy offers from the king to Amun-Ra; the stone was taken from the inner sanctuary of a temple!

The shock of the former High-Priest rapidly changed into anger and fury. These people desecrated the temples, violated and destroyed the whole country! He hadn't noticed that so strong during his short 'visit' to Cairo the last time he was walking in the mortal's world. He was far too concerned to obtain the canopic jars, then, and to regenerate his own body. But now the changes perforated his soul like the red-hot irons of a sadistic torturer. He felt the fury rising and boiling and reaching a dangerous destructive potential.

=== Same time / Desert camp near Hamunaptra ===

Khaled's men had found their dead companion around midday, attracted by some greedy vultures. But they hadn't discovered any sign of their precious price so far. Khaled had suggested advancing the digging procedures. But Meela Nais rested convinced that there was no need for it anymore, convinced that the creature she had come to raise already was free. She withdrew in her tent, refused to see anyone and waited for a clear sight. She trusted_ them._

They wouldn't let her down! She tried so hard to please them, she must gain the price! Never in her life again she wanted to be that miserable, abused little Nothing she once was, never again she wanted to be pushed around by others, sold and robbed of all pride! _They_ had chosen her. She would not disappoint them! She would not –

The sudden contact with the dark incorporeal existence was as painful as always. Meela heard herself scream, watched men storming into the tent, but was unable to control her body and mind anymore.

Her vision blurred as it was taken further than a human could normally endure. Then she saw HIM! Standing in a small crowded town on a wall. His fury stretched out into the realm of darkness and feeded the ever hungry shadows in it with the rage and fire they so desired.

"He is there…" Meela whispered, collapsing in the sand.

The vision vanished.

One of the men helped her up, handing her a flask with water. "Who is where?"

"Lord Imhotep," she answered with hoarse voice. "He is in the town with the red painted mosque."

"Red painted mosque?"

"Al-Jahira!" said Khaled, who entered the tent at this moment.

"Al-Jahira," Meela repeated and struggled to her feet. "We go… We go immediately!"

=== Al-Jahira ===

Crying, panicking people and the trembling earth woke Evelyn up. For one far too short moment she clanged to the illusion it might all have been a nightmare and she would be in London if she opened her eyes. But as she did so, she realized the disturbing reality, and not seeing her companion she feared for the worst. The frantic cries of some fleeing people seemed to confirm her suspicions. She jumped to her feet, stumbled forward over the already cracked wall of a house. There he was, wrath radiating from him like some sort of sinister energy and Evelyn felt cold fear bumping through her veins.

But she managed to overcome the instinctive repulsion. With some large steps she was at Imhotep's side.

"What are you DOING? Didn't you promise to be CAREFUL?"

"Look what they have done! This country is in ruins! They have destroyed and desecrated everything!"

"What THEY have done?" Evelyn retorted, the fear she had felt a minute ago shape shifting in annoyance. "Look what YOU have done! The people speaking about water turning into blood last night and now an earth quake!" _And I have conjured this all up! It's my fault!_

She grabbed his arm.

Immediately the earth quake stopped, and instead the tremor took over his body as if an angry power had found a new vessel to unleash its fury, till it finally surrendered. With a painful moan he sank to his knees and buried his face in his hands.

"I…can't … control it…" he whispered. "Perhaps I never will. It is… part of the curse… And I'm in their claws… forever…their weapon…I will go through this over and over again… for all eternity…"

Evelyn could sense the same desperation as in the nightmares back in London.

"What do you mean?" she said, "I have touched you and you could end this in the very minute! If you haven't enough strength to control your powers you would have killed me and laid this town into ashes!"

Imhotep turned his head and gave her a strange, undecipherable glance. Then Evie saw something new in his eyes and a little smile – no, only the faint remembrance of a smile – crossed his lips.

"You speak the truth, Evelyn. But … how can this be?"

"I suggest discussing this later," she answered with relaxation that it was within her possibilities to stop him at least and that no major damage was done to the nearby buildings and the inhabitants. Nonetheless everyone was frightened and the market stalls were overturned, giving the traders the occasion to yell at each other. "You are lucky so far that no one here suspects you as responsible for this chaos."

"But I MUST know it!"

Before she could protest he hustled her back to the waiting camel, ignoring the agitated people around them. There in the shadow of the roof he snatched her hand and placed it upon his medallion. But this time nothing happened. Nothing at all.

"I think… I can't force the gods to show me their will," Imhotep finally said and released Evelyn's hand.

"Possibly they are angry with you for that mess here," she said, relieved to be free from this awkward situation which she thought had lasted for hours.

Obviously, he didn't catch the sarcasm in her voice, because it made perfectly sense to him.

"Yes. I must ask forgiveness," he replied with all sincerity.

Evelyn checked the saddle of her camel and caressed the animal's nose. In doing so she realized she was hungry and thirsty … very hungry and thirsty! How long has it been since her last meal? She didn't remember – bad enough.

"I go finding something to eat, please wait here," she announced her companion and had to restrain herself not to add "_Don't do anything stupid_ _while I'm gone"_ like she was speaking to an obnoxious child.

=== En route ===

In front of a small police force on camel's back were Detective Cramer, feeling rather uncomfortable, and Rick O'Connel, feeling more and more alarmed by each passing minute.

Cramer tried to lighten the stress – primarily his own – by making small talk to his old friend.

"If someone told me I never would have believed it, Rick! You and marrying! It's like… ah, no offense, but you are really the last one I ever thought to get hitched! What happened to you?"

"I just love her. Is this not enough?" he grumbled. Why couldn't Gordon just stop talking and riding faster instead?!

"Must be an incredible woman who brought you in this state of mind!"

"She is."

"And you think you can settle down in a nice London suburb and raising kids with her… well, well, Rick, I never-" Before Cramer could express his incredulity again, he was distracted by the sound of many hooves and a sand cloud advancing fast over the edge of the nearby dunes. One moment later a group of black clad horsemen appeared in the midst of it, stopped shortly before the camels and saluted.

"Friends of your's?" Cramer asked with a slight movement in Rick's direction.

O'Connel grinned wryly. "You may put it that way. May I introduce: Mister Ardeth Bay, leader of the tribe of the Medjai. Ardeth, what's up?" He feigned complete innocence, not willing to make an army force of the small group, which might only gain unwanted attention.

"You know!" the other man replied straight-faced. Detective Cramer imagined the fellow might be performing as a good undertaker, with this expression on his face.

"We may live deep in the desert," the chief-Medjai continued, "but we are vigilant. We have learned of the signs appearing since last night. The One-who-shall-not-be-named is free again."

"Yes. And we are under way to get rid of him, once and forever."

"We will join you."

That was when Detective Cramer cut in: "Mister…uh.. Bay, I don't want to sound impolite, but this is a sensitive operation concerning a British citizen. Therefore it is MY responsibility—"

"It is our task," was all the Medjai said and gestured to his men to file in side by side with the camels.

Cramer grimaced, but Rick didn't want to lose time by arguing.

"To hell with responsibilities and tasks! Let's rescue Evie!"

=== Later in Al-Jahira ===

_How can it be?_The question tortured Imhotep's mind even more, now that Evelyn was out of sight. Why had she such power over him? And what was it with the vision they shared in Hamunaptra? She seemed so fragile and yet was so strong… Strong enough to hold against the Dark Ones? No, this was impossible, no mortal could do his! These were vain hopes and flattering illusions. Perhaps THIS was it; they finally had found a new entertaining way of killing him slowly in filling him with hope and then rip it away again. O they were very inventive in this matter, he already knew.

_I can't go through it again… I can't…_

Eyes shut he began to pray and this was how Evie found him half an hour later.

"Imhotep?" She wasn't into it very much if he simply stood there like _dead _and seemed absorbed by something which couldn't be positive! "Are you… alright?"

Her touch let him snap back to attention. "What? I'm praying… Do the people of your world have no gods and no prayers?"

"Uhm… yes, of course they have. But…" Would be very rude to say now _'I hadn't expected YOU to pray'…_ Evelyn cleared her throat. "I have thought about the things you said, about the Dark Ones making a weapon out of you," she said instead. "I don't understand. The Medjai we met last time said, the Pharao laid a curse on you because…" She blushed and took the opportunity to bite off quite a remarkable slice of the bread she just had bought. "…because you had seduced his wife… That the curse of the Hom-Dai is your punishment for this and for killing the Pharao."

"They said it that way? The Medjai are curse bound like me. They say what was told them. … Why would someone punish a criminal with a curse which would only bring disaster to the children and grandchildren of the judge? O no! I was sentenced to death and to burial without the right spells to get ever entrance in the afterlife. A wandering, tortured soul forever, but without the possibility to do any harm on others. This was the work of the Dark Ones, or merely their respective tools in the ancient days. I would have interfered, but I…"

He stopped. The memory of the last minutes in his life 3000 years ago was still so vivid in his mind as if all happened just yesterday. He couldn't speak about it. The thought alone let all the pain and the hunger for revenge rise again.

"Let us go! Finding the scarab pectoral!"

----


	7. Chapter 7 Soul of Ice

(Author's note: for the nitpickers ;) I know, since the story is set in Thebes it should be the temple of Amun there, not Osiris' and Imhotep should have been high priest of Amun, which would have been historically exact. But as the film stated him high priest of Osiris, I hadn't much of a choice with this part.)

**Chapter 7**

"**I can feel your soul of ice " (Blutengel, Song "Soul of Ice")**

=== Near Al Jahira ===

Sunset. The evening sun enveloped the battered houses of Al Jahira in a benevolent veil of golden beauty, as Evelyn and Imhotep left. The scenery reminded him of the many occasions back then in Thebes, when he stood at the Temple's gate after the evening ceremonies and looked up to the palace to catch at least a brief look of Ancksunamun on her way to her king and master. Far more evenings had passed like this, followed by horrible nights full of desperate and angry thoughts, imagining his beloved in Seti's arms. Far more then the rare ones, when they had spent some hours together... She was a prisoner, a hostage, given to the Pharao by her father in reparation for an uprising. She should have been grateful for so much attention, becoming Seti's favourite after all...that was it, what all people told her then...

_Lost forever... I will never see you again, hold you again... I failed... And all your trust in me was...misplaced..._

....

Hidden behind some Graeco-Roman ruins Meela and her men waited for the right time. She leaned against one of the walls, fixing her gaze at the two people on their camel. There he was. Lord Imhotep. Still more imposing then in her visions. Tall and handsome and with an aura of charisma even without the powers he claimed his own. Yes, this was a man a woman could easily fall for! Meela smiled. But the loud clicking sound behind her let her turn the head. One of the Bedouin fighters, a young fellow with crooked nose, had brought his rifle in position. Meela gave him a sharp look.

"What are you doing, you little fool?" she asked with disgust. "Put this thing down!"

"I thought, Mistress... I thought... Khaled said the creature is dangerous!"

"Yes... it is. But I can handle that! And besides, you couldn't kill it with an old fashioned rifle! If HE wants, he would crush you like a cockroach, with or without your weapon!"

"Y...yes, Mistress! But... what about the lady who is with him? Looks European..."

"Presumable that Carnahan witch. She must be the one who freed him... But she is no real danger, I assure you! Now, go and tell Khaled that I'm going now to say hello to my long lost love!"

After these words Meela left the shadow of the ruins and stepped out in the sun bathed sand.

....

_No..._

Imhotep stared at the figure taking an all too familiar shape as she approached. A tight cut long robe was bending like a second skin around her, long black hair floating over her back.

"Ancksunamun..."

Evelyn stared too, embarrassed by the fact that she had recognized the woman before he had said anything. It had been like... looking in a mirror and seeing the own face. Evie shivered. This was not good.

"Ancksunamun," he whispered again and was ready to jump to the ground. "This is the sign from the gods I asked for..."

Evelyn tried holding him back. "This CAN'T be true! I know how much you want this, but she is dead! She is dead, Imhotep! She can't be here! It's ... I don't know what it is, but..."

...But already he was down and ran to meet the woman with Ancksunamuns face. While they embraced, the strange woman looked up to her and Evie knew for sure, that something was wrong.

"I have been waiting for you," Meela said with dark, velvety voice in Hebrew.

"Why... don't you speak OUR language, my flower?" Imhotep was slightly intrigued, but not able to turn his eyes of her. Beautiful, so beautiful she was! Like the first day he had met her. How could she live again after what had happened last year in Hamunaptra? The question rose in his mind, but he couldn't express it. The moment was simply too wonderful.

"I have... forgotten a few things," Meela answered. "Don't worry."

Her hand slipped around his neck and loosened the medallion of Osiris.

"What are you doing?"

"You don't need this anymore. The gods have banished you long ago, remember! Would they have let you suffer 3000 years, otherwise? Slowly suffocating and eaten alive, locked in darkness?"

_No, no, no!_ He didn't want to think of that! How could she remind him now?

The necklace with the medallion landed in the sand behind him.

"Forget the gods!" Meela continued. "You are strong enough to defeat your enemies alone, my love! You are strong enough to defeat the gods themselves and let them pay for all, what they let come upon you!"

_No, stop it! _His mind ached, his body ached, and agonizing pain was all over him and devouring him.

At this moment, Khaled's voice sounded from the ruins: "Come on, we must leave this place! I got word that a police force is under way!" He stepped closer watching Imhotep with loathing and fear, before settling his view on Evelyn who was just dismounted. "Meela! Didn't you hear me?"

"Be silent! I'm in command here," she hissed back.

Evelyn had made a step in their direction – a mistake, which she recognized only a second later as Khaled raised his weapon.

The shot was loud and piercing in the peaceful evening sky. Evelyn fell backwards and her camel ran off with panicking howls. Imhotep just stared, unable to move, his mind raging. _Evelyn! Evelyn his redeemer!_

He wanted to run at her side, but Meela grabbed his arm with iron like fingers.

"What have you done?" Her eyes rested on Khaled, burning.

"We make no prisoners," he answered, "and if we had let her go, she would have alarmed the police!"

"You idiot." Meelas voice was deadly calm and dangerous. This man had just endangered everything again! This could have turned Imhotep against them! She could feel the level of agitation and confusion in him, and now was a very critical stage of her plan.... With a smile as cold as ice she pointed ad Khaled and whispered: "Kill him, my love! Kill him, he has disobeyed my orders!"

This time nothing was there to stop Imhotep's wrath, and he didn't want to control it either. He screamed; a cry of inhuman, dark terror, which summoned the gloomy forces of the curse. Then the crackling sound of thousands of scarab carapaces rubbing one another filled the air. Khaled screamed too. But it was already too late as he seized the situation. Within minutes he was dead and the scarabs left only a skeleton in the sand before they vanished again with a gesture from Imhotep.

The other Bedouins had watched the scene with shock. As Meela now turned towards them, her hand still on Imhotep's arm, they prostrated all together.

....

The night had fallen. It was silent now in the desert.

Evelyn had waited as long as she could, till she was absolutely sure the others were gone. Now she sat up and drew a deep breath. Yes, she was alone. What meant, the camel also was gone. But – she was alive. That was all that counted!

"Thank you, Jonathan," she said with a little smile. Never had she thought that this special trick of her brother which he used since they were children would save her live one day! She had constantly laughed at poor Jon and called him coward, when he let himself drop before anything could hit him.

"Remind me giving him a kiss and an excuse, when I'm home again..."

Evelyn stood up, looked around. In which direction they had left? She had to follow them, find them and impede them from using Imhotep further. There was absolutely no question anymore, that this alone was the purpose of them and this hideous woman with Ancksunamuns face. Evie had heard her orders, had heard the sound of the chittering scarabs... And she had felt Imhotep's fury.

_How strange... A day ago I feared him, and now I fear FOR him._

Fortunately she had her money in the bag at her belt, so she would be able to buy a horse, a camel or another way of transportation in Al'Jahira. She turned to the little town.

But what was that? Something glittering in the moonlight caught her attention. She stepped closer and crouched in the sand. Imhotep's medallion!

She had the impression to hear again his voice, faint and distant like in the underground of Hamunaptra.

_Help me..._

He was certainly in trouble, in deep trouble! And other people soon would be in danger, too! Her fingers had barely touched the medallion, as blue white flashes twitched up again from the old jewellery. Evelyn wanted to recede, but the light surrounded her and the medallion was in her hand, burning. But she couldn't get it off. Before she could cry in panic, she found herself again in the past, in the body of this other woman....

................She kneeled on the floor of a temple... an amazing place with immense columns, painted and gilded. The smell of incense and flowers floated through the air and in some distance she could hear solemn chants and harps. This was a place breathing holiness and sublimity! The temple of Osiris! And she was praying full of despair, tears running....

"Please help us, o mighty ruler over life and death, you who are the guardian of the souls in the afterlife! Merciful Osiris, help us! I know there are enemies seeking to betray us to gain advantage at the court! I know they are only waiting for the right moment to hand us over! There is nothing we can do, even if we deny our love from now on, the traitors have already made their pact! I beg you, o mighty Osiris, to rescue Imhotep! He was always loyal to you and this temple! What he has done he has only done for love of me! Please, please, please, I beg you, if it is the hour of our enemies, spare him! Let him live!"............

Then the ambiance of the past faded gradually leaving only white radiating light. Within it a shape took form, one which Evelyn recognized from seeing it on reliefs and in books. The god Osiris!

_.....I choose to take this form so you may find it easier to open your mind...._ he said without actually speaking. The sound seemed to emanate from his whole figure. _....Do you know who you are?...._

"I'm Evelyn... Evelyn Carnahan." It was strange speaking with a god which didn't exist anymore in the religious system she was brought up with!

_.....You are you and you are her. You were chosen then. In the temple, as you made your plea for Imhotep...._

"Then? You...mean, 3000 years ago?! It was not me."

_.....Time does not exist for me...._ If this was possible, he sounded puzzled. _....You were chosen. Because your spirit is so similar to the one of Ancksunamun I could give you her memories......_

Evie felt confused and frightened. "I don't understand! You filled the memories of a strange person into my head? A woman who died 3000 years ago?"

_....You are you and you are her.... _repeated the apparition._ ....You are one and the same. There is no border and no strangeness. It is up to you to help Imhotep, because he is in the mortal's world again and blinded by the Dark Ones. I cannot help him....._

Shortly the question 'why didn't you help him earlier' flashed through her mind. But, like already her grandma always said 'God's ways are not our ways'. Obviously this could be applied to the ancient gods as well!

"What is with her? With the woman I just saw here in the desert? The one with HER face...uhm...my face?" It was confusing...

_....She is the vessel of the Dark Ones. You must...._

The voice blurred. Evelyn looked up again and saw the whiteness of the vision suddenly pervaded by black smoky strings, like cracks and rifts in old books. The strings widened to shapes themselves, to figures with demoniac faces, shrieking and roaring.

Then, all of a sudden, it was over. Evelyn sat exhausted in the sand and watched as some tears fell slowly on the medallion in her hand.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Note: here is a little explanation before spreading to much confusion: As far as I comprehend re-incarnation beliefs, there is only the soul transferred, and not all memories of previous lifes are in the mind of the re-incarnated person from the beginning, if ever. This is the way I took here: The soul of Ancksunamun is re-incarnated in Evelyn, because her spirit and will would be able to 'hold' this soul, so it was transferred to her. But she has of course her own personality, she is not 'possessed' by the soul. I will explain in the next chapter, what is about Meela and why she looks like Ancksunamun (but is not her re-incarnation in this fanfic !!!, because re-incarnation are a thing of souls). I'll also explain what Imhotep was trying to do in TM in the sacrifice scene with the mummy of Ancksunamun and the captured Evie.)


	8. Chapter 8 Darkness

**Chapter 8**

**"I can see you in the darkness" (Blutengel, Song "My World")**

=== En route / Night / Same time Evie has her vision from Osiris ===

Meela and her Bedouin fighters had taken the route back to Cairo and had just paused for a little rest. As far as she understood through her visions, the goal they had to achieve was inside the Great Pyramid. She didn't know exactly what it was, but _they_ had spoken of ultimate power…

She watched the man sitting by her side. "Do you remember?" he had asked, "Remember everything that we once were?"

And she had lied "Yes, my love, everything." Seeing the trust and the love in his eyes she had almost felt a little… sorry. But these were not the kind of thoughts she should have now or ever! This was a sign of weakness! And she would not be weak again!

She had been only ten when practically sold by her father into marriage with a man she soon despised and hated. She ran away and probably would have died out in the desert – but_ they _came. _They_ made her feel worthy and powerful and promised more, if she would pledge allegiance to them. They cherished her and said that a most precious gift was hers: a beauty, a face, which could control the greatest weapon in the world.

Meela hasn't asked anything more and the Dark Ones hadn't told her about the curse of the Gods of the Living lying on this very body and beauty, because it has been killed once by herself and separated from its spirit and soul. Suicide – the greatest crime against the Gods of the Living in this ancient world, gods of which Meela had never heard. But this didn't matter. From then on her beauty was a tool of doom.

She leaned over to the man beside her. At least he wasn't as ugly and wretched as she felt Khaled had been. At least she could allow him to touch her… She had to allow it, or _they_ would punish her now.

….

Imhotep was still overwhelmed by the presence of the woman he believed lost forever. They had left the vicinity of Al'Jahira and rode until now. He hadn't found the time he wished with his Ancksunamun. But now finally, they were nearly alone. Those Bedouin slaves were insignificant! He raised his hand and touched her beautiful face. This was the moment he had dreamt of for so long, the dream that kept him from becoming insane while trapped in pain and darkness!

But… he couldn't feel any of the emotions now he had felt then in the presence of his soul mate! Nothing of the warmth, joy and delight, when not only their bodies but their souls joined! The sublime bond was missing! With irritation and growing desperation he tried to reach her, but here was nothing! Only emptiness and… darkness!

To embarrassed anymore to sit at her side, Imhotep stood up and wandered around the camels and the Bedouins, who eyed him with fear and terror.

Darkness… Was SHE one of the tools of the Dark Ones, had they already trapped him without him noticing it? _No, this can't be! Not she! Not my beloved, gentle Ancksunamun! She would never do such a thing! NEVER! Then…it must be me… I must have lost and betrayed the bond between us! But how?_

……_Imhotep! My High priest, open you mind!....._ The words came out of nowhere, very faint. He wasn't even sure he had heard something at all.

……_Imhotep! Don't you recognize me?......_

_Osiris? _He struggled for an answer, but instead of his words there were suddenly again Meelas words in his mind, the ones she had spoken to him last evening: _"Forget the gods! They have banished you long ago! Don't you remember? They let you suffer the pain of the Hom-Dai!"_

_I don't want to think of it! STOP IT! _He pressed the hands against the head and fought for control. If he abandoned himself any further to these waves of rage and thirst for revenge he would never again be able to stop it! _I can't go through it again! Not again! _The thought of the scarab pectoral flashed through him. The curse must end! He tried to hold onto it, but could not. The thought trickled through his mind like sand grains through his fingers.

_Evelyn…Evelyn…help me…_But Evelyn was dead. Killed.

Nothing remained but darkness.

Forever.

No light. No hope.

….

O it was so easy! The dark forces waiting for their revenge for aeons, now they were rejoicing. How could the gods ever be so fond of these despicable humans? They were weak, greedy, miserable, and always ready to slice another's throat for some meagre advantages; they were blinded by their desires and passions, destroying themselves! They were so easy to manipulate! And this one was a particular interesting and entertaining victim. A beautiful weapon shaped by the millennia… perfect.

Soon this one would reopen the gates of their prison and they could return and take what was theirs in the beginning! Soon…

The dark happiness broke free into the mortal's world. A thunderstorm and hail swept over Egypt.

….

Evelyn had bought a horse in Al'Jahira and now was on her way, following the traces left behind by Meela and her group. She still felt shaken and confused. Everything was happening so fast! She didn't know if her choice to follow Meela's men was rational or right.

_Rational? No, highly irrational, because I'm all alone and have no weapon._

Right? Heavens, how could she still know what was right – she didn't even know for sure who she was anymore! A reincarnation of a 3000 years old princess?! As brought up in Christian traditions Evie hadn't much knowledge about reincarnation beliefs. Another soul was in her – would it eventually supplant hers? Her memories? Or was it always the same soul, travelling since then and now just pausing in her? And her feelings – really HERS or… hers? It was frightening, to say the least!

_Speaking of feelings… _she thought, hurrying the horse, _what about Imhotep and me… her… my God, I'm going mad!_

_Did he know about this reincarnation stuff_, she wondered. She recalled the events of last year and Imhoteps first awakening, which she had pushed aside with so much effort. He had called her 'Ancksunamun' when he first saw her in the underground of Hamunaptra. But he hadn't been quite himself yet, he might have just made a mistake. Then the kiss in the hotel room in Cairo, when Rick came in with the cat… _But afterwards Imhotep tried to kill me to resurrect Ancksunamun. And, finally, now, after his second awakening he calls me 'Evelyn'... It doesn't make sense! He can't know of this all! Will… can… must I say him the truth? What is the truth?_

=== A camp in the desert ===

Detective Cramer cursed as he left the makeshift tent and stepped out in the desert turned into mud after the heavy rain and hail of the past minutes.

"What is this place? It's worst than England in the worst winter I ever saw!"

"It's not the place. It's HIM. The One-who-shall-not-be-named." The voice behind him let Cramer frown. During the last hours he really had begun to hate those end-of-the-world-prophecies and especially this tall, black clad Bedouin with the strange tattoos on his hawk like face.

"Good. This thing has a taste for bad weather, then."

"Do not make jokes."

"Believe me, my desire to make jokes has left me the minute you and your fellows joined us, Mister Ardeth Bay!"

--- "Someone's coming, Sir!" The alarming cry came from the sentry in the west, and the police men as well as the Medjai mounted horses and camels and rushed into fighting position.

_A well trained army they are, at least…_ thought Cramer, taking his own weapon. Would he see this mythical creature now?

But what rode into the perimeter of the camp didn't look like an emissary from hell! It was a woman, a European woman, looking very exhausted, and her horse the same. Before the detective could think any further, his old friend Rick O'Connel pushed through some of the Medjai, calling "Evie, Evie!" like a madman.

Evelyn let herself fall from the saddle into his arms and he hugged and kissed her without one single thought of the people around them. "Evie! I'm so glad you're okay! So happy to see you! You don't know how I was worried about you! Someone has raised the damned creature again! ... You are shivering, we need to warm you up, come on!"

He carried her more than she walked. Some minutes later Evie sat in a tent, wrapped in a coat and a tea with some drops of Whiskey in it fumed in front of her. She was trying to figure out what and first of all how she should tell what had happened, but she fell asleep, before she could speak a word.

=== Next Day in the 'British' desert camp ===

The sentries had given alarm. It was early morning, still cold. The little force moving towards them from south was far from impressive. But the Medjai had sworn, this would be the creature's devilish army. And so Cramer's men were ready, too – and curious!

Evie was still sleeping and Rick had left her reluctantly alone. Again checking his impressive weapons collection he joined Cramer and Ardeth the moment the enemy was within visual range.

...

Imhotep recognized the man next to the Medjai's horse immediately. How could he ever forget him? Rick O'Connel. He had killed him the first time he had been freed from the realm of the undead! He had struck his sword right through his body, when he had no weapon himself anymore! He had hindered him in the task of bringing Ancksunamun back to life!

Imhotep scowled with flaming eyes and flaming heart.

O'Connel had killed him a second time and let him fall prey to the demons! To the pain! To the torture! Every single cell of his body cried out for revenge now. It was the only thought he was capable of. REVENGE! He would bring death upon his enemies, let them suffer!

Meela smiled her ice cold smile. Then the sand in front of them slowly swept up like a giant wave.

...

The noise woke Evelyn. A fight! Orders and... the Medjai were chanting their sacred pledge... Their pledge?! _O my god, they're preparing for battle against Imhotep! He must be somewhere near!_ She jumped up, ran out of the tent as she was, barefoot and only dressed in one of Rick's far too large shirts.


	9. Chapter 9 Fight for you

**Chapter 9**

**"Just someone to fight for you, when your life begins to crumble" (Blutengel, Song "Behind your mask")**

=== Near the desert camp ===

Rick O'Connel's eyes narrowed as he watched the enemies closing in. _I really thought we had extinguished this thing, _he said to himself, _what the hell went wrong? _He turned to Ardeth: "We both know bullets won't kill the creature, only his entourage. So, what's your plan?"

The expression on the other man's face told Rick enough about 'plans'.

"Great," he murmured, now discovering the unnatural movement of the sand in front of him. "Just great!" This was when he caught the glimpse of Evie, running through the line of the puzzled Medjai, right in the firing range!

"Evie! What are you doing? Come back!" And to the others he yelled: "Don't shoot! Do you hear me? Hold your fire!"

…

Evelyn heard Rick, sensed the fear in his voice and regretted deeply giving him such pain. But it was up to her to do something now! Approximately two dozen meters away she saw Imhotep. He was approaching with slow, steady paces, as if he was alone on the esplanade of his temple on a peaceful morning. Only his hands were slightly turned upwards, as the sand rose higher and the sound of millions of scarabs mingled to it. His eyes were closed, and a cold, evil smirk lay on his lips. A priest summoning the dark forces of the underworld and enjoying it…

Was it still him, the man whom she had seen kneeling on the ground in Al'Jahira and desperately wishing to control those powers? Or was it only the 'creature' that was left? Bound to destroy?

"Imhotep! Stop it!" She cried as loud as she could, but the rising storm took her breath. Something tapped against her chest. The medallion of Osiris, she remembered now and grabbed it tightly.

"Imhotep! Hear me! STOP IT!"

Now his eyelids flew open. He saw her, too. And within an instant the sandstorm settled and the scarabs paused, frozen in time it seemed, like their master.

"Evelyn…"

With a few steps Meela was at his side. _Khaled couldn't do anything right_, she thought angrily, _not even kill a woman standing only a few feet in front of him!_ "What are you waiting for? Kill this British whore and her minions!"

_No… NO!_

"Have you forgotten what they did to you? To me?!"

_Evelyn…_

Above them in the sky something strange like a dark crack formed and widened into a giant claw. The carapaces of the scarabs began to bristle again. All of a sudden the air was as cold as ice. The horses and camels shrieked.

"Imhotep!" Following her instinct Evelyn ripped the medallion from her neck and threw it over to him. "Remember who you are!"

He caught it without greater effort, only a second before Meela could intervene. But now the dark menacing claw like specter lunged at Imhotep, burst through him with an angry roar. Meela escaped back to her fighters. All was tenebrous now. Evie could hear the frightened voices of men and animals and her own. Was this it, how the end of the world would feel? Blinding white flashes pierced the night around her and she squeezed her eyes. Thunder again, and a sickening sound, cracking, thrilling … accompanied by faint whining cries.

Then – silence, such an intense and complete silence Evie had never experienced before.

She dared to open up her eyes. In some distance she could determine the figures of the Bedouin fighters, just trying to stand up again. The body of the woman with Ancksunamuns face lay motionless on the ground. And only two steps away, motionless the same, Imhotep.

Was he dead, like he had desired so intensely? No, his eyes were open, but it was not the blank gape of death. He tried to move, tried to do something, but could not.

Hearing the sound of running feet, Evelyn turned and discerned Rick, his two guns at the ready, followed by Ardeth and other Medjai.

"Evie, aside! Quick! Wanna take him out while he is still down!"

"You can't kill him!"

"Perhaps!" O'Connel aimed. "But I may be able to slow him down a little bit if I blast him into shiny little pieces! Step aside, Evie!"

"Rick! Don't do it!" she pleaded. "You can't shoot a helpless man!"

"I'm not sure if HE would have the same scruples! "

"But he hasn't done anything! You can't just shoot him like... like a mad dog!"

"He hasn't DONE anything? He was about to do all sorts of nasty things! Have you forgotten last year? We lost good old Winston in a little sand devil like this!"

"But now it's different! Listen, Rick! Please, put the guns down! Please! I have to explain so much!"

"Evie, what's wrong with you? Are you brainwashed or something?"

"I'm fine! Rick –"

"Don't you see, this monster is influencing you with some mental tricks!"

"He hasn't harmed me! On the contrary, he has saved me two times! Rick, he needs help and –"

"What are you talking about? You are not yourself! Step aside and let me finish it!" he retorted angrily and afraid of losing the advantage over his enemy. Ardeth Bay and another Medjai stepped closer in order to drag Evelyn away by force, if necessary.

"I'm not myself?" She yelled now, overwhelmed by both her temper and her fear. "What do you think I am, then? A monster like you think HE is?" Her heart raced. A part of her couldn't believe what she was screaming. She felt Imhotep breathing and slowly recovering. Not only Rick's guns, but also the weapons of the Medjai and the police men pointed at her – or rather at the man lying beneath her at the ground. _What shall I do, what I shall do ???_

"Evie, out – of – my – way!!!" He pulled the trigger back. Ardeth reached out to grab her shoulder.

In this moment Evelyn felt Imhotep's right hand closing around her ankle. The split of a second later she was surrounded by an upsweeping whirlwind of sand and passed out with the feeling the world and herself were just turned inside out.

=== Near Cairo ===

Evie felt sick. Her head twisted and her stomach seemed to move dangerously close to her throat if she only imagined the voyage through the air. Her hair was dishevelled and full of sand.

"This was even worse than last time…" she coughed.

"I'm sorry," Imhotep said, "I had to get out with you fast. You saved me, and I need you, more than ever." Something in his voice had changed, but she was too tired hanging onto it now. "The Dark Ones are only temporarily defeated. They will regain their strength soon. We must find the scarab pectoral, or it will be too late for me! Even when you are… with me." He had taken her hands. "Evelyn… Ancksunamun…"

"You… KNOW it all, do you? This… reincarnation?" She was relieved and worried all at once.

"Osiris gave me the vision the moment I caught the medallion. It was true! I wasn't mistaken the first time when I saw you! It was all true! Ancksunamun is reborn in you. But later I trusted my eyes more than my heart… and I fell prey to her, the vessel of the Dark Ones… I was a fool. Can you ever forgive me?"

She didn't know what to say at all. Her heart and mind were more confused than the grains of the sandstorm.

"I know, this must be… difficult for you," Imhotep continued.

_This is an understatement! I don't know who I am anymore. Everything is just falling apart…_

"Do you remember … all things from the past life?"

He was so close now, and Evie suddenly wished nothing more than to find some rest in his arms. "Only a few things," she answered. "The ones from the visions. Perhaps if I try a little harder…"

"Don't try it too hard. There are some very … unpleasant and cruel memories. It's enough I remember them all."

She sensed his lips brushing against hers and didn't flinch. Then they kissed. A real kiss, gentle and lasting, not some vision from a distant past. Her eyes locked now in Imhotep's were her own, and she could feel the sand grains on his skin. No question, this was now, this was herself, may her soul have been partly from the ancient time or not. It was totally different from the kisses she had shared with Rick so far. That was exciting adventure and fun. But now she felt like drowning in a sea of delight, losing herself in a timeless ocean of light and warmth. It didn't matter that the man embracing her wasn't entirely … human. She wished it would never, never end. She heard all the words of endearment he whispered to her and was almost ready to respond…

But then shot a hot pang of guilt and shame through her, like a flash. Pushing Imhotep back and dropping down on the floor she felt miserably.

"What... have I done?" he asked.

"It's not you. It's ME! It's Rick! I'm the fiancée of Rick O'Connel and we wanted to get married!"

For an instant it seemed, Imhotep would go up in flames, kill her and everything still living on earth. But then he just looked down, sad and lost. "So you ... love him and you will go with him?"

"I...I don't know!" Evie sobbed. "I thought it ... but I'm not sure anymore! But I do know Rick loves me! How could I... how could I... "How_ could I end up sticking in such a mess?_ She let her head drop on her knees. _Try to be rational, _said the voice of her father again in her memory. _You are an English lady, Evelyn Carnahan! Don't sit here whining! _Yes! Yes, no time for surrender to melancholy! There still was a war to win! As soon as possible Detective Cramer would notify the authorities in all major towns, especially in Cairo. The police would be alarmed, and as a consequence they would never gain access to the museum and the artefacts without getting arrested! _Think about THIS problem, not about the OTHER!_

A sound nearby broke into her thoughts. Simultaneously with Imhotep she turned, only to discover a boy about 10 standing behind a Sycamore trunk. He didn't make any attempt to take flight and Imhotep grabbed him.

"I'm one of the servants!" The boy shouted now. "I came to find you, Mylord!"

"What does he say?" Imhotep questioned without loosening his grip.

"He is a servant. – He looks terrified, let him go! It's only a child!"

"A servant? Of whom? The Medjai perhaps?" He did not want them to interfere any longer... No one should interfere any longer! He just wanted to DIE, once and forever! And MORE than ever! Now Imhotep saw the pendant around the boy's neck. A small piece made of copper, but in shape and design very similar to his medallion! "Who are you? What is this?" he asked impatiently.

"I'm Achmad, a servant, Lord Imhotep! I told you! Servant of Osiris! I came to find you and ...."

Evelyn tried to understand and summarize the words, spoken in Arab with awful speed. "He says he's a servant of Osiris," she translated, as the boy finally fell silent. "From the family of the keepers. His father is ill, so he sent him to you. He is here to help."

Imhotep watched the thin, fragile frame of the boy and was not convinced which help he could probably provide. However, this medallion.... "What does this mean: Family of the Keepers'?"

After Evies hasty translation the boy began to recite a story obviously repeated to him and drilled in his mind countless times.

"There was Sennufer, one of the priests of Osiris, one of the Readers of the Scriptures, High priest Imhotep's trusted friend. He had a son in the service of the temple as well, named Mentechepre..."

Imhotep understood the names before Evelyn could translate the sentences. Sennufer, o yes. He was tortured and killed first. They all were murdered because of his crime, all his priests and servants! And he had to watch the whole wretched ritual before it was his turn!

"Mentechepre escaped the guards of the Pharao. He stole the key used to seal the sarcophagus of High priest Imhotep. He wanted to free him and take revenge on Pharao Seti's son Ramses. However, he couldn't get access to the 'Book of the Dead'. The Medjai guarded the secret of its whereabouts. Therefore, he waited for the right time, and passed the key to his son as he died. And so on. The family of the keepers guarded the key and the Medjai the book..."

"O my god...the little key-box Rick had found during the fight with the Bedouins!" Evelyn remembered while translating the story. "He says his father had lost the key during a fight with some foreign legionnaires! ... But ... how could you find us, Achmad?"

----


	10. Chapter 10 Questions

(Note: please read the background-story "Desperation" - thanks)

**Chapter 10**

"**Your mind is full of questions" (Blutengel, Song "Redemption")**

=== In the desert ===

Detective Gordon Cramer took a look around. The little gunfight had cost the life of five of the Bedouin fellows and wounded two of his men. _What did they want with such antiquities of weapons?_ he wondered while going over to the captives. Among them was this dark beauty which seemed to him the reincarnation of Morgan-Le-Fay from the old King-Arthur stories… Cramer had taken her two weird looking daggers and thought he began to understand what the forensic specialist back in Cairo had meant about 'blades from Italian Renaissance'. These little 'friends' looked very promising to be the wanted corpus delicti…

"Well, Miss, anything to say to me?"

Meela spat on his feet.

"That's not very lady like, you know." Cramer was far from being impressed by such behavior. He had seen all kind of scum in the prisons of Cairo. "I just wanted to notify you, Miss, that you and your bunch here are the prime suspects for killing the Chief of the Antiquities Department, Mr. Vauxley, in surplus for kidnapping Sir Marcus Irving." The detective padded on the pocket of his jacket, where he had stuffed the little book he had found in Meela's bag. He was no expert in these things, but obviously it was full of decryptions and translations from the 'Book of the Dead' – and Irving had declared that this had been the intent of his kidnappers. "And, Miss," Cramer continued, "… by the way… what was that little mumbo jumbo you and your friend with the charming smile tried to make here today? Should I add terrorist attacks and assaults on the King to the list?"

"Lord Imhotep will kill you all," retorted Meela. "He will wipe you from the face of the earth!"

Cramer arched his brows and sighed. Why the heck these people here couldn't simply swear or insult him? Why they always recurred to such overstatements? Heaven and hell, end of the world, Armageddon…

"We will see that, Miss. But I assure you, the Crown of England and me will make some little difficulties in this matter!" He gestured to his men and gave the order to mount. They were on their way back to Abydos shortly after.

…

"Don't take this easy, Gordon," Rick O'Connel said to his old friend riding next to him. "This creature has captured Evelyn! For the second time! I told you what he was trying to do last year!" He was really concerned and Cramer's nonchalance nearly drove him mad. Couldn't they go a LITTLE faster? Couldn't they send a messenger? Nevertheless, where to? Where this thing had taken Evie? Back to Hamunaptra for some devilish rituals? He couldn't think clearly anymore at this imagination. _Creepy bastard! If I get you in my hands one more time, I –_

Detective Cramer's voice interrupted his dark thoughts: "Seemed to me Miss Evelyn had quite control of the situation. She protected this… uhm…creature, as you call it."

"She wasn't herself! This abomination took over her mind somehow! Why else she would act so … so irrational?!"

Cramer shrugged. "I don't know her. And don't look at ME like that. It's not MY fault, Rick. All I tried to say was that your fiancée not appeared completely lost and helpless."

O'Connel muttered something not very friendly and rode ahead.

…

Some hours later they arrived at Abydos as planned. However, Cramer could not establish contact with his bureau in Cairo. All telephone links were cut off due to the storm and hail last night. Rick felt desperate and helpless like never before in his life. If his beloved Evie was in danger – and he was certain she was – there was nothing he could do to help her! _Why did she come to Egypt at all_, he wondered over and over again. _Why didn't she wait for me?_

=== Near Cairo ===

For some short moments, when he had kissed Evelyn, Imhotep had wanted to live; badly and desperately like he had wanted to die until then. Life! Life with her! Life and love! But this was over and the longing for death and oblivion was more intense than ever. She had Ancksunamun's soul and her spirit – but 3000 years had passed. This woman was not entirely and solely Ancksunamun. She was Evelyn Carnahan as well, with her own memories, her own life… and her love for his enemy. He would never have again what he had lost so long ago. _I have failed in my promise to resurrect Ancksunamun. So the gods have decided in their greatness to do it by themselves and place her in front of me as final punishment and reminder of my failure. _He recognized how dangerously close to rage and revenge his thoughts were again and concentrated on Evelyn, who still spoke with the Arab boy, without translating. _How beautiful she was…_

How would it feel, the death, Imhotep mused suddenly. Would it claim him the moment the curse was released? Would he simply cease to exist and reduced to ashes? It didn't matter. No one in this world was able to give his body the right treatment and the correct spells for the travel through the underworld anyway. And he wouldn't find Ancksunamun's soul there either. Yes, he hoped he would cease to exist. At last. No more pain, no more memories…

…

…"How did you find us, Achmad?"

"Father had dreams. He described me where I should look and he described me how you would look like", the boy answered. "Father says the god speaks to him in his dreams. And if I will be initiated one day I will have the dreams too. But… I'm afraid… a little," he confessed.

"I can't believe it!" Evelyn was so excited that she forgot the situation and the translation for Imhotep as well and speaking English. "This family seems to have preserved some sort of cult for Osiris! For all these centuries, in the middle of the other religions here! It's incredible!"

The boy smiled uncertain, not understanding a word. Imhotep glanced at him and felt even more frustrated. He couldn't speak or comprehend the language of these people, he couldn't read it or write it – he was like a complete idiot! He, High priest of Osiris, one of the most powerful and learned people of his time! _My time… 3000 years ago…_

"I'm here to help you," the boy repeated. "My father told me to bring you to him."

Imhotep lost his patience. "Evelyn, what does he say?"

"He will take us to his home."

"That's not possible!" he retorted. "That's … too dangerous!"

"But we NEED help! Look at us – there's no way I could go in the city or into the museum like that!" She tugged at Rick's shirt, still her only clothing. "We have no money, nothing to eat, to drink and no place to stay. And we absolutely have to avoid drawing any attention!"

He hesitated, and then nodded slowly. Sometimes he just forgot the needs of a mortal being.

=== Later / Dwelling of Achmad's family ===

It was a rather pitiful living place which shared Achmad with his parents and his brothers and sisters in the crowded suburb of Cairo. Partly subterranean and a little wet in some parts, with peeled-off paint. A lonely naked bulb hung in the main chamber; all the others were lit with traditional oil lamps.

For Imhotep meeting these people was a torturing experience. For this family 3000 years had passed, but for him it felt like greeting the children of a man he had practically killed with his deeds only a while ago! The children of his friend Sennufer. That they welcomed him like a long expected, that they welcomed him at all, only made the situation worse.

"Give me your blessing!" said the patriarch of the family, confined to his sickbed but highly excited to see finally what generation after generation only had transmitted verbally.

Evelyn translated and Imhotep looked embarrassed. "Say him; I have no blessings to give right now. The curse made me to a bringer of death and disease. Even if I would use my powers to no evil mean, I would summon the Dark Ones, and I can't control it anymore."

"The curse must be broken…" Achmad's father said. "But we… don't know…how. Much knowledge has been lost … in the centuries, Mylord. I beg forgiveness."

"Answer him, it doesn't matter!" Imhotep said after Evies explanation. "I know what I need and what I have to do! And say him it is not his fault!" _3000 years… I still cannot comprehend this number alone! To me it seems like… yesterday…the death of Sennufer and my own punishment…_

…………...The preparation chambers in the underground of Hamunaptra. The horrified screams of the others still echoed through his mind, though there was nothing to hear right now except his own coughing and fighting for air. They had cut out his tongue and only the constant struggle not to choke from his own blood held him conscious at all. How pathetic! Surely only more suffering awaited him, and yet, he clanged onto every miserable moment of his life! People were entering the room, some of them in the garment of the priests of Anubis, he thought, but couldn't see clearly because of tears and pain. But then there was a dark coldness in the heat of this preparation chamber, a breath of death itself, not part of this world. He squeezed the eyes, blinked and found himself face to face to another pair of eyes: dark, cold, shining in joy and anticipation……….

The little window in the living room swung open by force of the sudden storm and slammed shut again. Thunderbolts roared over the city and darkness fell in the middle of the day.

Imhotep awoke from the nightmare, clasping his medallion. He was still standing in front of the bed of Achmad's father, in the circle of the whole family. Everyone stared at him. What had happened? What had he done this time? No one was hurt here, at least…

"Imhotep, have you heard what I've been saying?" Evelyn's voice. Concerned but not terrified or angry. He relaxed a little.

"No. I'm sorry. I was … distracted."

"I told him we have to get into the Egyptian Museum to find the pectoral. And he said he has a friend working there as one of the wardens. He will help us to pass via the side entrance and directly into the library tomorrow."

"That's good! Thank him! I am most grateful for his help. I need … some papyrus, ink and a pencil to sketch the pectoral, so we can find it."

Evelyn transferred the question and little Achmad ran to bring two pages from an exercise book and a rather precious looking stylograph from his father.

Imhotep took it, sat down on the table and examined the writing utensil somewhat helpless. "No ink?"

"Wait. I show you. It's easy." Evie took the stylograph and drew some curls on the paper. "Just hold it like this. Nothing can go wrong."

….

It was night now and everywhere in the dwelling the sound of sleeping people was to hear. Evelyn tried to sleep too, she was so tired. But she didn't succeed. Too much was in her mind. And then the memories… curiously she had 'opened' the door to this other life a crack, but it had become like a never ceasing torrent flooding in her consciousness. The smallest details, faces, words, sceneries, scents … all was there, punching und urging, and she could not hold it back behind some barriers anymore. The more desperate she wanted this to end now; the more it went out of control. She wished she could talk to someone about all these strange things. How wonderful would it be to sit next to Jonathan right now, in their little hideout in father's garden, like they did as children! Just talking! It wouldn't even matter to her if he mocked her later – if she only could share all this with someone!

Her mind wandered to Rick, but she decided she couldn't tell HIM … A disturbing thought. _Why? Why hadn't he listened to me out there in the desert? Why hadn't he trusted me?_ She felt tears burning in her eyes. Everything went wrong. And only two weeks ago she had regarded herself as the luckiest woman in the world…

Evie looked around and saw that she wasn't the only person in here still awake. Imhotep sat near the doorway, from where the cool night air blew through the rooms. He didn't move, but she could see his eyes were open. Part of her wanted to run to him, feel him again - but she buried the thought as deep as she could. This was not right! And... at least HE didn't need to sleep, but she very well! There was work waiting! She forced herself to shut the eyes again and to lie still. Therefore, she did not notice how Imhotep turned his head and watched her for a long, long time.

=== Next day / In the desert ===

The falcon had landed on Ardeth's fist and the Medjai had taken the little paper roll attached on the bird's right leg. Reading his face darkened.

Rick feared the worst. "What does it say? News about Evelyn?"

"It's a message from one of my friends in Cairo," Ardeth replied. "The creature is there. With Evelyn. It has been seen amongst our sworn enemies. This miserable cursed lineage of the Keepers!"

"What do you mean? Is there something you hadn't told me last year about this whole stuff?"

"Yes. Many things," the Medjai answered to Rick's surprise. But before the other man could yell his anger at him, he continued: "It is not always necessary to tell all at a time; it is not wise."

"May be!" Rick snorted. "But right now, I wanna know EVERYTHING! Evie's live may depend on it!"

"The Keepers are the descendants of one of the Osiris priests. They saw it as their task to raise the One-who-shall-not-be-named, as we saw it as our task to keep him buried for all time. They came in our way ever since, but could not fulfill their task, because only we knew the location of the 'Book of the Dead' in Hamunaptra."

"So… these guys," Rick pointed at the Bedouin prisoners and Meela, "…belong to the 'Keepers'? And they try to conquer the world with their old master, right?"

"No. I don't know who had sent them and this woman, but it was not the Keepers."

"How could you be so sure?" Sometimes Ardeths self-confidence enerved him without end.

"The signs you have seen, the dark forces. The Keepers call themselves servants of Osiris, they can't use the dark forces and they never have until now."

"Whatever! I don't care! We have to go to Cairo, and we have to do it fast!" O'Connel pointed east, where the steam cloud of a locomotive just showed up. "I'll go by train! If I have to hijack it, okay! But I won't lose another minute here and let my Evelyn in the hands of this undead moron!"


	11. Chapter 11 Not free

**Chapter 11**

"**I'm not free to follow you" (Blutengel, Song "In my dreams")**

=== Next day / Aboard the train to Cairo ===

The tiresome rumble of the train let Meela drift off at last after fighting the urge for sleep for hours. She had to find a way out, out of the custody of the police! Still there was a way to accomplish her task, but she had to be free! Her last vision had taught her as much: Lord Imhotep was in Cairo, and he would be there in the Great Pyramid where he should be, if the time had come. Nothing else mattered. If HE was there, he would open the gates of the underworld and release the dark spirits imprisoned there. She would see to it that no one came into their ways again, hindered the fulfillment of the prophecies and her own retribution! The thought accompanied her in her dreams and she smiled victoriously.

…

Ardeth Bay watched the policemen, Cramer and O'Connel, all in the middle of a card game he didn't understand. He was the only Medjai in the train, the rest of his fighters followed by horse in some distance. To be honest, Ardeth did not understand how men could play at all in a situation like this! Instead of preparing themselves for battle or eventually death (not understanding the way of life of an English gentleman)! He himself had been brought up in the spirit of fight and sacrifice; he had learnt to keep his senses vigilant since he had heard for the first time about the task of his tribe and the ancient enemy of the Medjai, the evil lying hidden in the ground of Hamunaptra! Hidden – no more! He frowned instinctively. Yes, the creature was in their world again, and exhaling all sorts of pestilences over the land and its people. Ardeth had no idea how to stop it, but he was ready to give his life in doing so.

His dark gaze rested on Rick O'Connel, who took his cards rather absently. He was not like the other strangers. He had a heart full of strength and endurance much alike to a Medjai. Moreover, the woman he loved was a special one, too. With a special place in this destiny. She had raised the deadly creature from its grave and she had banished it again… Therefore, Allah might have chosen her to destroy it once and forever! The old prophecies spoke of a woman with Egyptian blood, who came nonetheless from a far away land, and who would vanquish the curse and the evil. Was Evelyn Carnahan this woman, Ardeth mused?

"Hey, Mr. Bay, don't you want to join us for a little game?" Detective Cramer asked.

"No, I don't like games like that, thank you."

"Ah, I get the impression you don't like the modern times at all, don't you? No cards, no trains…."

"Leave him alone, Gordon!" Rick threw his cards away, stood up and nearly lost his footing as the train stopped with shrieking brakes and loud rumble. "Why we halt again?!" he said annoyed, looking out of the window only to see leaving and boarding passengers with huge bags and baskets and lots of kids.

Cramer shot a glance. "It is a regular station, Rick. We cannot do anything. It's enough that I've sequestrated a whole wagon for my men and the prisoners. There is no way I could force hundreds of people riding non-stop to Cairo. I have already pushed my authority to the limit – given the circumstance that we are in pursuit of a 'non human undead being who makes sand devil tricks'. My boss will think I sat in the sun far too long if he reads my report! This may well be the end of my career!"

"But-"

"No more 'buts', please."

Unnerved, Rick grabbed the cigarette his friend was about to light and followed Ardeth Bay out on the little platform at the end of the wagon. "At least YOU believe me, that Evie is in serious danger," he said, arrived there.

"Yes. However, I trust the prophecies. If Evelyn is the chosen one, she will overcome the creature. We must have faith and strength. For now, it is all we can do. I have sent my falcon back to Cairo to my friend there to let him be our eyes and ears in the meantime."

"Well, that's better than nothing I suppose."

…

The stop of the train had awakened Meela. She sat up immediately, fearing they would already be in Cairo. But no, not yet, she recognized an instant later. It was still time to get free…

"Miss, everything okay? Should I bring you something to drink?"

She looked upwards in the face of one of the police guards, a red haired boy for whom obviously a woman was always a lady, even if she was suspected for murder. "Yes… this would be… nice," Meela answered with her sweetest innocent smile and downcast eyes. "It is so hot in here… I'm feeling not very well."

...

=== Later the same day / Egyptian Museum in Cairo ===

As promised, the friend of the Keeper's family managed to get Imhotep and Evelyn in the building past the officials and security. They both wore the clothes of the natives now and this was the best way not to attract any attention from the European guests. They arrived unnoticed in the Library, Evelyn's former working place.

"Miss Carnahan! What a surprise!"

Evelyn recognized the voice and turned slowly, carefully setting a mien of surprised joy as well. Lewis was one of the librarians working here, a nice guy with huge glasses who always seemed somewhat lost behind the staples of books in front of him. Of course, HE would recognize her, so it was useless trying to hide.

"You will work here again? I heard you went off to England to marry…" He tried to clean his hand from the dust of the books and hold it out to Evelyn.

"It's nice to see you too, Lewis! No, I'm not here to work regularly. I'm … on a search right now for a project, a publication I would like to make! And I hoped… you could help me a little." _Better that, than having him looking over my shoulder constantly._

"O… oh, me?" He blushed. "Yes, of course! Of course, Miss Carnahan!" Now his eyes fell on Imhotep. "And this is your lucky husband? Welcome and congratulations!"

Evelyn cleared her throat. "Actually, it's not my husband, Lewis. This is I…Ibrahim. A cousin of mine." She wondered how easily she could lie.

"Uh…" The fellow librarian blushed further and blinked through his glasses. "I'm sorry. I mean…that's wonderful you are here – Nonetheless, welcome!"

"He … can't speak. An accident when he was a child. He was just curious to see what I do with my time, so I took him with me."

"Ah, I understand!" However, it was eminent Lewis felt somewhat uncomfortable in the presence of Imhotep, who did not react in any kind, because he feared to make a mistake. The librarian smiled uncertainly, and then tried his best to ignore him and turned again to Evelyn. "So what is it that you're looking for, Miss Carnahan?"

"A pectoral." She opened her suitcase and took Imhotep's drawing out. "Before 19th dynasty. It was part of the crown jewels of the Pharaohs. Is it on display somewhere here?"

The librarian studied the paper carefully, nearly punching his nose on it. "On display… no… I don't think so…" he said after a while. "This is a beautiful piece, I would remember! But you know we have hundreds of boxes down in the basement."

_Yes, I know, hundreds! That's exactly the problem!_

"Do you know where it has been found? Any official record?"

"Unfortunately not." _I do not even know if it still exists._

"Well, you have to try it with the registers, in that case." Lewis went over to the bookshelf behind his desk, where some huge folios rested. While taking one after another down he explained: "At least, we have the records of the excavations since Mariette here…"

_This will take forever_, Evelyn thought discouraged. _We will never make it in time._

…

Evie had made Lewis promise not to tell anyone that she was here as he left for home, but she did not think he could pose a threat. As far as she knew, her former colleague always went straight to his apartment two streets ahead, the mind still back in some old book. He had no relatives here and no friends and he hated gossip.

Already hours had passed and it was dark outside. Evelyn read the entries of the register, made in French, German and English, and Imhotep filed the papers for visual representations. Until now, they had found absolutely nothing, not the smallest note of a scarab pectoral in this particular shape and style!

Evie rubbed her eyes and took a sip of the cold coffee left behind by Lewis. "What if we can't find it? If it's lost, or destroyed, or simply still buried out in the desert in some ruins not yet discovered?"

Imhotep looked at her. It was obviously that this idea had not crossed his mind before. "I… do not know."

_Well, as I suspected…_ However, she could not blame him; the reality of 3000 years of history with all its implications was hard to grasp, no doubt. "This is the only way to revoke the curse?"

"The only way I know of," he replied sadly, as the possibility they might not succeed slowly settled in his mind.

"Why the gods cannot interfere? Osiris himself? He helped you against the forces of darkness in the desert, when I threw the medallion over to you!"

"A curse of this magnitude bounds the gods themselves. They can only fight the evil coming through the gateway… through ME, but they cannot destroy it and they cannot destroy me. They can only take the immortality from my body - until someone wakes me again – but not from my soul and spirit."

Evelyn tried to understand. For her, god always had been an almighty being, not someone who could be trapped by magic! _You LET it happen_, that ancient part of herself suddenly screamed in the back of her mind, full of desperate fury against Osiris. _I begged you for Imhotep and YOU let this come upon him!!!_

……_You both did wrong….. _Evelyn squinted in the flame of the petroleum lamp on the desk. Osiris? The light reflected brightly in Imhotep's medallion, and she heard the voice of the god again. _…….You both did wrong. You took another life. This made it easy for the Dark Ones to make a claim on you both……_

The same instant the memory was back in her consciousness, THAT awful, dark memory! Evie tried in vain to block it. All she could do was crying. "I murdered the Pharaoh! I killed myself and… and our child, Imhotep!"

He pulled her in his arms. "I warned you, do not try to recall it all…" Pity sounded more through his words than reprimand. For a while, they just sat there on the floor between the books and papers, not able to do anything, despite the pressing time. Imhotep did not know when the comforting strokes over her back became more caressing and exploring, and when their lips met again. Life! What a beautiful illusion, to hold her, to think there could be any hope of another salvation than death… No, he did not want to die! As he sank backwards and thereby overthrew the staple of books on the floor, the noise catapulted him and Evie back in the present. As much as he wanted her – this was not the way and certainly not the time!

"We must continue the search!"

"Yes." She stood up, adjusted her dress and avoided eye contact. With trembling hands, she took the coffee pot again, then sat down behind the desktop and scrolled through the register volume 12. However, it took a while before she could realize again, what she was reading at all.

...

=== Same night / Dwelling of Achmad's family ===

"Achmad! Achmad, wake up!"

Alarmed by the voice of his elder sister the boy snapped to attention. "What is it?"

"Father is not well, he wants you to come!"

At these words, the boy jumped out of the bed and followed his sister to the room where his parents and the youngest children normally slept. As he arrived, his mother had already left the room with the twin babies. His father sat in the bed, blankets around his thin shoulders, looking very pale.

"I go and bring a doctor!" Achmad said, trying to soothe his own fear and unease.

"No. This won't help, you know it," his father answered, suppressing a cough. "And we have no time for that! I know the Medjai have an emissary here in the city and I know he is aware of Lord Imhotep. The battle will begin soon. The time has come for you, my son."

"B…but… father… I'm only 12! You always said… I'm still too young and I … I don't know enough…" Achmad was afraid. He felt weak. He just wanted to hug his father or to run for a doctor, but above all, he feared to disappoint him.

"You know how to read the old scripture; you know how to interpret signs. The task of the keepers is an old and holy one! It needs a strong servant! I…" He sighed. "It is your turn, Achmad! Remember the story I told you. The story about Mentechepre. He was not older than you." The man reached out and put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I know I can be proud of you! You will be a good servant of Osiris. – Now go, your mother will prepare you!"

…

As the first sunrays colored the morning sky, little Achmad knelt in front of his father, with shaven head and dressed in a black tunic. The perfume of incense and roses floated through the house, which suddenly had lost its shabbiness and breathed something of very old glamour and solemnity instead. The boy was still afraid of the things, which should happen to him so soon. A servant! How should he ever live up to such high expectancies? The teacher in school had always said he was too slow, he was not very smart… how could he fight in a battle, how could he fulfill the will of such a powerful ancient god as Osiris?

He broke off in his thoughts as his father began to speak while signing him with the sacred oils.

"You will be a keeper. A keeper of the truth, a seeker of forgiveness, a seeker of justice. You will help to bring freedom and peace for the one, whom it has been denied." He placed the medallion of Osiris around Achmad's neck – from now on, he would wear it rightfully and until his death. "Your secret name will be …"

Glass split.

The atmosphere of solemnity was gone with the appalled cries of Achmad's sisters and mother.

A gun barrel pointed through the window, and full of distaste a voice demanded: "Stop these infamous rites, old man!"


	12. Chapter 12 Damned forever

(Note: I know, fans of the Medjai will be disappointed… but we saw them in the movie trying to kill Evie and the others ant not being very nice…Please read "Desperation" chapter 2 for the background in Ancient Egypt, thanks)

**Chapter 12**

**"Will I be damned forever more?"** (Blutengel, Song "Heaven or Hell")

**=== Cairo / Dwelling of Achmad's Family ===**

"You won't hold us back any longer, Medjai!"

With that, Achmad's father lifted the flask with the holy oil and poured it over the head of his son. "Your secret name will be –"

The bullet of the angry Medjai's rifle reached him the very moment. He fell to his knees, fighting for breath and the last necessary strength. Blood dropped from his lips as he managed: "Khemosiri…"

"Father, no!" Achmad trembled, tried to hold him and realized through his tears he could not. His sisters had rushed at his side. The last whispered words of the dying man were barely audible through the sound of the Medjai breaking in the house. "Hear… the gods … speak … finish… our task!"

Achmad's hands clasped the shoulders of his father. "No, no, no! You can't die!"

One of the attackers stormed into the room. The babies cried, as he grabbed their mother, demanding, "Where is the creature? Where do you hide him?"

"You'll get nothing from us!" She hissed back, her eyes dark in pain and anger.

"Your detestable lineage tried to release the bringer of death and plagues for millennia! We shall all kill you today!"

"Killing is all you've EVER done, Medjai!"

"Stop it!" His comrade ordered now. "Her death will give us no answers!" He raised his rifle instead and pointed it to the head of one of Achmad's sisters. "Where is the creature? Speak or she dies next!"

The frightened eyes of the young girl flickered over to her brother, who still held his dead father. "Achmad, RUN!"

Not a second too late, the boy was on his feet, one of the Medjai behind him. How many of them were here in the city? He didn't think anymore, he just ran. The enemy blocked the main entrance of their home, so he went back through the kitchen, overthrowing pots and baskets to slow down his follower a bit. Then he opened the grid of the old drain.

"Come back you little son of the devil!" He heard the cries of the Medjai, as he dived down into the darkness. His father had shown him this escape way once, but no one of the family had used it since. It smelled awful here and shortly after Achmad was covered with mud and filth. However, the enemy had not reached him yet! He kept running, gliding and swimming as fast as he could. Lord Imhotep was in the Museum with this British lady; he had to warn them and do whatever else a 12-year-old newly ordained priest of Osiris could do!

**=== Same time / Cairo / Ramses – Station ===**

The train finally arrived. Rick O'Connel had the feeling, that during the last hours this miserable snuffling, wheezing engine had gone in walking pace! Now he was waiting AGAIN here at the station, while Detective Cramer spoke with an agitated official about rebels and insurrections. He picked up something about a gunfight early morning this same day.

This wasn't of much interest to him, all he wanted was to find Evie. Therefore, Rick had lost the minimal rest of patience still left in him, as Gordon Cramer returned to the waiting men. However, the detective gave him no chance to speak, because he turned to Ardeth, and not in a friendly manner.

"Well, I just got the information that there was a fight in the city, which left at least one dead man, and YOUR people are involved, Mr. Bay, if I trust the descriptions I have until now. And I trust them indeed!"

Ardeth tried to say something, but Cramer cut him off. "NO, I don't want to hear a word about ancient curses, undead people or the ten plagues of Egypt! I do not care if you and your fellows aren't ready for the 20th century! However, if they kill someone here in this damned city, it IS my responsibility and I will not let them get away with it! This is not the desert! We have law and order here!"

Cries from his officers guarding the prisoners still in the wagon of the train interrupted the invective. A moment later Cramer saw one of his men, the young redhead. He was bleeding from his nose.

"What is going on there?"

"This woman, Sir…" The young officer sniffed. "She's gone… Sir."

"WHAT? Could you be a little more specific?"

"Escaped, Sir." He made a miserable face.

"And exactly how was this possible? You were there to GUARD her?!"

"Yes, Sir. She said, she wasn't feeling well… she looked pale, you know, I thought… uhm…she said she had to go outside … so I unshackled her… I'm sorry, Sir."

"I'm sorry to say this but you are an idiot! You should have stayed in Scotland and guarding sheeps!"

"She punched me," he tried to explain. "…still don't know how… but… then she was gone."

"And where did your weapon go?"

The hand of the poor guy fumbled at his side and found nothing. "Uhm…I … She must have… taken it."

Cramer rolled his eyes. Yet another task! He had to contact the headquarter. O'Neal would be pleased. Before all this, he needed new cigarettes! First things first!

**=== Meantime / Cairo / Egyptian Museum ===**

Imhotep tried to concentrate on the endless rows of pencil drawings in the book made of this smooth stuff Evelyn called 'paper'. The name sounded vaguely like 'papyrus', but was non. Like she was not solely Ancksunamun, and he was not Imhotep anymore… His glance wandered over to her slim figure, now crouched over the register. Her lips moved slightly as she read the entries in foreign languages. He loved her – still and yet again. Not only her spirit and soul which were his sweet flower Ancksunamun's from the ancient times, but also her new traits, the ones belonging to Evelyn Carnahan.

He wanted to be there for her, help her, give her all what her life needed to be complete, all she needed to be happy! Finally! Was there a way to vanquish the Dark Ones and keep his life, perhaps his immortality to accomplish all this? The question slowly took shape in his mind…

_No, these are superfluous and senseless thoughts! Illusions and lies!_ Dangerous the same, because they let him hesitate and gave the dark forces time to react, to sneak in, to seduce him…Imhotep turned back to the book on his knees, regarded his hands. How HUMAN they looked... _Though I am not the High priest of Osiris in Thebes anymore. I may have his face, his body, his memories and his soul; nevertheless, I am the Cursed One. No longer human. With dangerous powers, which I cannot control. The Medjai call me a creature, a monster … and that is exactly what I have become. This existence must not endure; it must END!_

He caught himself again looking at Evelyn. _She does not even feel the same I do. She will soon be the soulmate of another man…I should never have touched her again._

"Imhotep? I think I've found something."

Ironically, the so expected success let his mood only sink farther into the abyss of despair. His time raced to its end. His time with her.

"Let me see it!"

"The description fits," answered Evelyn. "There must be a drawing and a photo of the item in volume 13, the one you have! Page 1238." Then she remembered, he couldn't read the numbers, stood up and went over to search the page on her own. For a brief instant her fingers brushed over his hands, enough to make him nearly scream in desperation again. It took all his effort not to throw away the book and simply roar his frustration out into the night. However, he said nothing, studied only the photography in the folio. A winged scarab with the symbol of life in each of his rear legs. "It's the right one. Where will we find it?" He wondered how cold and distant his voice suddenly came out, with all the turmoil of fire in him.

"It should be in box 21 from the excavations of Mariette, down in the basement." Still avoiding looking in Imhotep's eyes, Evie went back to the desktop and began searching for the flashlight. She knew Lewis had one. Yes, there it was! She checked the batteries and moved towards the door.

….

They strolled cautious and silent through the exhibition hall in the direction of the entrance for the basement. Evelyn knew that there were at least two guards in the night watch at the museum, and if they got caught, everything was over! The small light cone of the flashlight in her hand danced over the floor and then rested accidentally on one of the royal mummies here on display. Suddenly she froze, glaring at the label.

"Pharaoh Ramses II. … Ramses the Great …. , son of Seti I." she read and her hand holding the lamp began to tremble. Of course, she had seen his mummy while she was working here; it was nothing special – then! However, these days of her work in the library seemed to be more then a lifetime away now. _Ramses!_

Imhotep looked over her shoulder, piercing eyes focused on the dark leathery face of the ancient body in the glass case. No, the youthful strength and beauty of Pharaoh's son was long gone! Nevertheless, he saw Ramses' face like it had been then… at Hamunaptra… in the temple… in the preparation chamber…

"It was him, who gave me the Hom-Dai!" He seemed to be ready to shatter the glass case and rip the mummy of his old opponent apart. Perhaps he WOULD have done so, if Evelyn had not wrapped her arms around him and pushed him back to the other wall. "He is dead, Imhotep! He is dead for over 3000 years now! You can't harm him in any way, he won't feel anything!" They stood clasped together for quite a while.

"Come on, we must not drew the attention of the guards!!!"

Finally, he could move again, moreover, move past the hideous exhibition item.

**=== In the streets of Cairo ===**

Achmad had left the drain and was now on the run through the early morning market business at the bazaar. Unfortunately, at least one of the Medjai was closing in again. The boy looked over his shoulder and stumbled head over heels in a large cage with poultry. The trader cried and cursed against 'those filthy thieving urchins' and tried to catch Achmad. But he was up and on his feet again before someone could grab him. Then a loud ringing sound caught his attention. He stopped for a moment, thinking, orientating. Yes, the tram! Right there, around the corner had to be a station! He sprinted down the street, pushed some people aside and jumped aboard the tram-wagon, which was just about to depart. He grinned desperately in the faces of the shocked travellers and hoped he would make some stations before the conductor kicked him out…

**=== Meantime / Down in the basement of the Egyptian Museum ===**

The precious pectoral laid buried deep in a wooden case, among countless other items. Evie had carefully unpacked it, and now they both contemplated the piece. The once bright shining red and blue glass had darkened over the time and the stone scarab was cracked. Would it still work, Evelyn mused, following the crack with her finger. It was deep. _We are lucky so far that the scarab is still in one piece_, she thought, although a little aching part of her almost wished it would be broken and of no use… What would happen to Imhotep, if he could annihilate the curse? Would he die, cease to exist, vanish like a ghost? They had never spoken about it. Evie had not the courage to do it now. She didn't want to think any further, only until her next step…

Imhotep took the artefact from her hands, for an instant tempted to shatter it on the ground right beneath his feet. How it was strong, the seduction of life! Even if it would be a cursed life, one under the domination of the dark forces and abhorred from all other humans! _Evelyn…_ _I could make her my own, forever; I could make her immortal, too._ So strong, so intoxicating... _No, I don't want to go through all this again! It was my wish to die once and forever, not to live a life as a weapon for the Dark Ones! _An eternity had passed for him, as he finally closed his fingers around the precious object, examined it and –

"The inscription! The inscription is missing!"

Now Evelyn saw the abraded underside of the scarab stone herself. Only faint traces of the hieroglyphs were still there, not readable for the most part.

"So it is... useless now?"

"I need the inscription with the holy incantations! It won't work without them! Otherwise, this pectoral is only a vessel full of power, but without a possibility to open it and use it!"

"Which incantations exactly?" Evelyn asked. "Perhaps we might find another object, or written texts with it."

"It's a hymn to Ra, the sunrise in the morning. The spells helping him to guide his boat through the underworld, to defeat the evil there and rise again. The scarab is his symbol… ah, you know that, of course." He examined the stone again, as if hoping that a wonder would occur and the hieroglyphs be visible. "Every scarab is the symbol and incarnation of Ra. That is why they are holy. The Hom-Dai made the ones locked up with me to creatures of darkness instead of light, so I would be bound to the realm of twilight and pain between life and death, between night and day. It only could be done with the scarabs, and the curse can only be removed with their holy power and the correct spells."

**=== Egyptian Museum / Room of the guards ===**

One of the guards, an older man with impressive moustache, entered the room. "There's someone in the basement!" He told his companion and without setting his lamp down. "I heard voices and saw lights while making my round through the garden. I saw something in the exhibition hall, too. Let's have a look, shall we?"

"Thrice-cursed thieves!" said the other guard, lifting his weight from the chair. "Sons of dogs! Yesterday I said to the mister curator, he had to employ more men, I said, but – Eh, what was that?" He made a gesture out of the window, where a little black shadow just slipped by.

"More of those bastards! Call the police, then let's go down, and have a look. I'll take my old friend here with me… to be sure." He pulled a rather antique gun out of the drawer.

**=== Egyptian Museum / Basement ===**

Evie jumped up at the sound of running feet approaching fast from the rear entrance. The police? The museum guards? She saw Imhotep peeling off the hindering modern Arab gown and taking fighting position. Surely, he could take some of the attackers out, even without recurring to his powers. Nevertheless, the noise would alarm others… Only a moment later she discerned a small silhouette on the steps, racing in their direction. Certainly no policeman! It was…

"Oh my god! It's Achmad!"

The boy stumbled exhausted in her arms, clearly at the end of his strength. "The Medjai," he gasped, wiping dirt and tears from his face, "… killed my father! I'm here… to warn you! They're… they're behind me!"

At this moment, the lamps of the two guards became visible, and then the men themselves. Their yelling echoed through the building.

"Obviously they're not the only ones…" Evie whispered and put her arms around Achmad, who widened his eyes in desperation. He had just led the enemies right there where they wanted to be...

....

The dark shadows rejoiced once more. If they had had lips they would have smiled how perfectly everything worked for them! Their weapon was perfect, yes... They had thought it could be flawed, for a brief moment - but their fears now dissolved into another joyful, lustful burst of evil. If he had only been a little more selfish... But he was as he had always been: to desperately ready to defend the ones he loved! He was it then, when he killed the Pharaoh, when he went to Hamunaptra instead of escaping his enemies. And he was it now again! Yes, he WOULD defend this woman and this boy, he WOULD use his powers! And in doing so he would become their wonderful shaped weapon again...


	13. Chapter 13 Is there a god

**Chapter 13**

**"Is there a god who can hear our cries, is there a god who can save our souls?" **(Blutengel, Song "The dream")

**=== In the streets of Cairo ===**

A police detachment had taken the prisoners and the wounded officers of the little task force, as another car arrived at Ramses Station to pick up Detective Cramer and the rest: one officer, Rick O'Connel and Ardeth, who nearly had to be forced into the automobile. During the ride through the city, Gordon Cramer made notes what to do first at the headquarters. He was worried about the fugitive suspect. His deputy O'Neill was already informed about the situation and had given the alarms and orders. But Cairo was a bottomless hole in this respect, she might well be able to slip away…

Cramer's grumpy thoughts were interrupted by Rick crying: "There, over the museum! Bloody hell! Look at this!" The other two men and the driver of the car followed his gesture. The clouds over the building of the Egyptian Museum still some streets away were about to form a sort of tornado and glowing fiery stones battered the roof. "It's this damned creature! It is there! Hurry, before the storm sweeps over the city!"

**=== Egyptian Museum / In the basement ===**

The museum guards halted on the staircase and looked down into the cramped basement corridor. Yes, there were the intruders! A skinny, dirt covered boy, a tired looking woman and a half-naked man with desperation in his eyes. The guard with the moustache felt pity. These people didn't seem to be ordinary robbers; they gave the impression of a very poor family, driven by need to their deeds. There were many such families these days in the city, the guard thought sadly. Perhaps he would have let them go – but his comrade was more determined.

"We have informed the police, you scum, you miserable! The officers will be here at any minute, so don't try anything!" He padded confidentially his gun and made a – as he hoped – intimidating face.

"Please…" To the guard's surprise, the woman spoke clear English. "We are not here to steal anything." Evelyn knew how stupid this presumably sounded. They were here, obviously without permission, had opened a box and Imhotep already wore the scarab pectoral! She tried to convince them, nonetheless! "My name is Evelyn Carnahan. I used to work here in the library. My cousin and me, we are here for a research project. I really must apologize for our appearance, but we had… we had a difficult time in the desert and… uhm…"

"YOU are Miss Carnahan? There was a man here in Cairo about a week and a half ago, searching for you!"

"O…yes, yes! Mr. O'Connel, right? He was supposed to meet us, but we missed him." Evie smiled the most radiant smile she was capable of given the situation. Perhaps she would have succeeded in her intention, had not Achmad's Medjai pursuer burst in, and right behind him the police.

"Come forward! Hands up!" one of the police officer bellowed. "Are you deaf or what?! Step into the light or I shoot!"

Evie murmured in Imhotep's direction to stay calm and do nothing, while she considered her options to get out of the situation. There had to be a way! In this moment, a familiar voice sounded through the basement, and shortly after she discerned Rick, storming down the staircase without noticing the warnings of the police. Would he listen to her now? She sincerely hoped it.

"Evie! Thank God, you're okay! I'm –"

"Of course I'm okay, unless these men shoot me! Please say them, they should stop pointing their guns at us and please listen to me!"

"Come over to me, Evie!" He demanded instead. "Come on, all will be fine! I will protect you!" The Medjai warrior and the police did not move and did not lower their weapons. In the meantime, Detective Cramer had arrived and with him another Medjai: Ardeth. He exchanged a sinister look with Rick and slightly shook his head.

"There's no need, Rick. As I said, I'm unharmed and nothing will happen to me or any other person, if you'll just LISTEN! Imhotep is no danger. His only wish is to break the curse and to die. We have found the scarab pectoral he will need for the process. Believe me, he won't kill anyone or destroy anything!"

"I believe you…" Rick said reluctantly, not sure, if she spoke out of her own free will right now. "However, I don't trust this pal a bit, before I haven't thrown him into the abyss of hell where he belongs!"

The events in Hamunaptra last year were again in front of her mind's eye… Rick transfixing Imhotep with his blade, the moment when he was helpless and no danger anymore. _He has done it to rescue me, nothing more, only to rescue me! _She repeated silently, but the image was not willing to vanish. On the contrary, it cramped in her mind like an ugly demon. She already had been free at this moment, and Rick's reaction - one of pure revenge! Now she saw the same hate in his blue eyes…

"Rick, I have … " She couldn't speak further, because right now one of the police officers in his good will tried to pull Achmad out of the danger. The boy screamed for fear of the Medjai and Imhotep ordered furiously to set him free again. Without effect, for no one could understand what he said. Worse, the officer valued his behavior as prelude to an attack, shoutet back and raised his gun.

"Let the boy, Imhotep!" Evelyn called through the rapidly rising tension. "He will be safe with the police!"

"No! He is MY responsibility! Don't you see, he is a priest of Osiris, and it's ME who shall protect him! Especially from this Medjai-brood!" Then, in the ancient times in the preparation chamber in Hamunaptra, he couldn't save his friend Sennufer from torture and death! In no way he would now let the enemy have one of his descendants! Then, he was bound and nearly unconscious, but today he had power and was quite able to use it! "Take your hands off him!" he ordered once again, reaching out to get Achmad by force if the officer would not release him.

Before Evelyn could say anything, shots resounded through the vault and she had to take cover. Terrified screams told her, the officers had just discovered that bullets couldn't disable their opponent. Somebody cried "Allah, help! The devil!" and a young officer just yelled in naked panic "Kill the thing, kill it, KILL IT!"

In between, Achmad's cries. Evie risked a look over the box and caught a glimpse of Imhotep, a quickly healing, but still nasty looking wound over his chest and just hurling two police officers against the wall. Then he lifted the frightened Achmad and ran towards the rear exit. Now the shooting stopped for fear to wound the boy. Rick O'Connel muttered some nasty execrations, but held his fire, too, and retracted behind a storage box.

Then, he thought he would dream. Dream a bad nightmare! Reaching the last step, Imhotep suddenly turned to Evelyn and said something while holding his hand out to her. Evie hesitated, looked around … searching? – but then she ran to HIM! All happened again, like last year! Evie took the hand of the creature! Rick felt cold. He tried to cry after her but couldn't mouth anything. No… it wasn't the same situation…it dropped slowly in his mind while his beloved vanished behind the door. Last year she went with him to save the others. Now she simply…followed him! For the kid perhaps? Because she was still influenced somehow? He was not able to convince himself. He missed something… something important… However, this was no moment to ponder! As he began to run after the fugitives, Rick felt better. He would catch them and free Evie, whatever it might cost! He WOULD cast this damned High priest into the deepest hell, forever!

**=== Later / Near the Museum ===**

Achmad trembled and tears left more white stripes on his dirty face. The last hours were simply too much for him. First the ordination to priesthood, then the murder of his father, the hunt across the city and now the fight in the museum… The boy collapsed as soon as Imhotep let him down. Evie put her arms around him, tried to find some encouraging words and realized how exhausted she was herself. She counted it as a miracle that they had managed to shake off the police and the Medjai. Now they were hiding near the river in a cavern from Turkish times. Nevertheless, this was only good so far! What should they do next?

"I'm sure there are papyrus scrolls in the museum with the necessary spells and incantations to Re", she said to Imhotep. "Somewhere. But I doubt I'll get access again without being arrested."

He regarded the scarab pectoral in his hands. "I could try to… use it nevertheless. I am a priest and I am schooled in magic. But the Hom-Dai is a very powerful curse, if I don't remember exactly…I could even extend the curse in spite of breaking it…Who was so reckless to destroy these inscriptions?!"

"A later user who didn't know its meaning, supposedly." Evelyn sighed. She had already seen quite many artifacts damaged in this way.

"The pyramid!" Achmad called out.

Evie looked worried to the boy, fearing he might have gotten some fever following the excitement.

"The Great Pyramid of Gizah! There are inscriptions in honor of Re!" He repeated his eyes suddenly wide open and bright again.

"Achmad, there are no inscriptions in the pyramids at Gizah." She tried to sound as calming as she could. "The first inscriptions and reliefs have been found in the pyramid of Unas, in Sakkara. This –"

"No, I'm sure, Miss Evelyn! Father told me! There is a secret chamber in the pyramid! A temple of the Keepers! He said it's the seal to the underworld, with the most powerful spells!"

Evie frowned. _The seal of the underworld? I do not like the sound of that…_ However, if the boy was right, then… "Why no one had found it so far, Achmad?"

"Because it is protected! But I know the signs, father told me!" He jumped up and pulled at her sleeve. "I do not lie! I'm a servant of Osiris, one of the Keepers, Miss Evelyn!"

She tried to push back her weakness and follow the surprising explanations of the boy. After a revelation to one of Achmad's ancestors, the Keeper's family had built a hidden chamber, a temple, inside the Great Pyramid itself, which seemed the safest place during the persecutions by the Christians, then the Muslims and again and again the Medjai. There they thought to keep as much of the ancient knowledge alive as they could… Achmad didn't know how old exactly it was, but Evelyn estimated it as 4th century A.C., the time when the ancient temples in Egypt were abandoned for the new Christian faith. In another situation, this would have meant the archeological discovery of a lifetime, her entrance to scholarly honors! Now she didn't waste one single thought on THIS subject…

**=== Egyptian Museum / Library ===**

After searching the exhibition hall, Detective Cramer, O'Connel and the others stood again in the museum's library. Rick went to the open window and looked down in the garden. "They're gone! Dammit!"

Gordon Cramer leaned out beside him and saw the treacherous traces on the sandy passage, too. "Yes. Do you think, they will go back to this… Hamunaptra place?"

Rick shook his head. "They had the chance to do so, but they went to Cairo instead. This monster must have other plans in his mind…" The piercing, chilling little thought was back in him again. Something was going on with Evie, and he didn't understand it. Her glance a little while ago in the basement was so… strange! It made him suddenly feel like he had never known her before…

"Miss Carnahan said something about breaking the curse", Cramer mused, still gazing out of the window.

"So you finally believe my story, eh?" Rick's voice was bathed in frustration.

"Well", the detective raised his eyebrows and turned towards his old friend. "I admit that seeing a guy shot at least ten times and yet not fall down dead is a little intriguing."

"The curse can't be annihilated." The words were spoken by the Medjai who had pursued Achmad. "The Hom-Dai is eternal! This creature lures you all into a trap to gain power again!"

"The Keepers say, it can be broken…" Ardeth mused, suddenly very thoughtful.

"The Keepers? Since when the leader of the Medjai occupies himself with the teachings of the Keepers? They are sons of the devil, dogs, nothing more!"

"As you said, I am the leader of the Medjai. As such, I have to know many. … I remember… there is a prophecy about the end of time and the gates of the underworld. It goes about the hidden temple of the Keepers at the 'fundament of the earth', in which shall be freed what was bound…"

"This means they will raise the creature and bring destruction over the world", the other Medjai retorted angry.

"'Fundament of the earth'? Perhaps this is it whereto they escaped!" Rick cut in. "What does it mean? A city, old ruins?"

"The Great Pyramid, what else."

All heads turned in the direction of the new voice and discovered Lewis, the librarian. He had just arrived to begin his working day. Now he entered, looking over the people gathered here and the books still on the ground from Evelyn's researches last night. "My god! My poor books! What's going on here? Where is Miss Carnahan?"

"Probably… at the 'Fundament of the earth'", Rick answered the puzzled librarian.

**=== Near the Museum ===**

The fugitives had decided to leave by nightfall and find some rest until then. Achmad had organized something to eat from a friend living nearby. At least no craving hunger kept Evelyn from sleep. However, her thoughts were still in heavy confusion, even more so now that her body had its rest.

She couldn't imagine ever finding back to her old life in England; worse she didn't know if she wanted at all. She couldn't imagine marrying Rick either. Not with her messed-up feelings and everything that had happened last week! It was not that she did not love him or didn't care for him anymore. Thinking of Rick still felt like a warm wind in springtime, like flowers in the grass and butterflies in her stomach… However, now there were these ancient memories in her, of a love as burning as the desert sun, deep as the night sky and strong enough to risk the wrath of kings and gods. _Memories?_ No, she couldn't escape from herself that easily! It was not only a memory of past days; it was vivid and powerful and she was not able to ignore or deny it. Imhotep was at her side, very much alive and vital, despite her knowledge that he was an undead creature. She couldn't bring herself to think of him like that anymore… The idea to lose him probably very soon made her feel sick. How should she live after that a normal life again? How should she live at all?

_Stop these thoughts, Evelyn Carnahan, stop immediately_, she told to herself. _This is not good, it brings you nowhere! _

A while she watched Imhotep sitting there like a statue and little Achmad, finally sleeping as only a child of his age could after the events of the last hours. A thought crossed Evies mind at once, and she spoke it out, too tired to hold it back: "Imhotep? Last year, when you have kidnapped me and brought to Hamunaptra, would you have sacrificed me to get Ancksunamun back?"

He looked at her with surprise, and a moment later with pain. "What do you ask? The instant the sacred knife would have touched you I would have known that Ancksunamun's spirit and soul already was IN you; I would not have killed you!"

"And if … you had not… discovered it?" _Why do I say this???_

Imhotep looked away. "You still don't trust me … not even now… Do you remember what I said to you in Cairo the first time, after I had taken one of these grave-robbing bastards? 'I will make you immortal, for you have freed me from the undead'. I remember quite well. Would I break a promise made to someone who had made me such a gift?"

Evie said nothing more. She felt tears rising. For an instant, she wished Imhotep had actually SAID, he was prepared to kill her then. It would have made the things so much easier…

-----

(Tbc… with Meela's part next time! Please review, thanks!)


	14. Chapter 14 Take my hand

**Chapter 14**

**"Take my hand, I will care"** (Blutengel, Song "In the distance")

**=== Night / In Cairo ===**

The cab driver, an old man with gold crowns on his teeth, regarded with some irritation the three people stepping in the direction of his car. Yes, in his profession he saw quite a lot very strange folk, especially those tourists in their grotesque clothes and hats, and not to forget, a lot of crazy men, gamblers, fortune seekers who thought to plough the desert and find a treasure! Nevertheless, these had another air... This man looked as if ... no, the driver couldn't determine it exactly. Dangerous? But since when a robber went on a tour with a woman and a child?

Perhaps he should simply close the window and search another place to wait for other customers.

It was too late; the woman already had her hands on the door. "Please, to Gizah, to the Great Pyramid!"

Seeing how the boy nearly pushed the man inside and hearing, how nervous the woman sounded, the driver was convinced that these were no 'normal crazy people'. Was the police at their feet, or did he just fell in the middle of a bloody family matter? Either way, he didn't want to be a part of any of this!

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. Your .. companions have to get out. I'm just waiting for a passenger here. I'm really sorry, perhaps if you will search another –"

"Drive us!" Without another word the woman took place too.

The cabbie decided it would be better to comply before his guests had any not so friendly ideas.

"To Gizah? I take 50", he said.

This was far too much money, but the woman made no attempt to bargain. Weird indeed! She just had a few words with the man sitting in the back and then put a golden bracelet in the hand of the astonished driver. "This is enough I think."

Evelyn was silent for the rest of their ride out of Cairo. She didn't even turn her head to see after Achmad and Imhotep, who probably felt terrible in this vehicle. They hadn't shared many words after her question about last year some hours ago in the cavern. As the evening came, Imhotep had urged them to go. And now they were on their way ... to the place where he might find redemption but very likely also death. She clasped her hands together, feeling cold and uncomfortable. There was so much to say, so much what should have been said. Still, she found enough excuses to rest enfolded in her silence.

**=== Near the Pyramids at Gizah ===**

Meela watched the night sky over the pyramids. It was nearly full moon. It was peaceful out here – only for the visual senses, of course, she thought. The people in the city, those Bedouins over there with their camels, they hadn't the slightest idea what lay beneath the age-old Great Pyramid! She clenched her teeth and smiled grimly. However, the questions and the sudden doubt remained. Would she be able to finish her given task? Would she be able to seduce Lord Imhotep and bound him to the dark forces as they wished it? After her last vision she had been quite confident, but now... She felt alone and she was afraid again, a feeling she hated! Because it was undeniable that she had failed the first time she had met Imhotep some days ago in the desert. She had tried her best; nonetheless he had realized she was not the one he had dreamt of, not his Ancksunamun! There was this other woman, this British bitch! She exerted much influence and control on him. Too much!

…_.The reincarnation must not interfere with our plans!…._

The whispering voices of her masters were back, accompanied by a rapidly growing headache. Meela tried to steady herself at the wall of a house. "Re..reincarnation? What does... this mean?"

…_.The other woman. She is our enemy. She will retain our weapon. She must die!…._

"_Evelyn Carnahan" _said Meela in her mind and began to understand. THIS woman was the soulmate she should play! The true one and therefore a danger indeed!

Despite all her efforts, Meela passed out. The dark forces rested with her this time, floating around her now quasi-bodiless mind with countless pictures and voices. As she woke up, she knew step by step what she had to do and where she had to go. The stones of the pyramid shone white and in a way transcendent this night. She caressed the cold metal of her stolen gun and smiled. Soon, it would be all over! _They_ would have what they wanted and she would have what was promised her! Power... control...everything she ever wanted would be hers! Soon...

....

Gordon Cramer, Rick O'Connel and Ardeth Bay left the car simultaneously with a small police detachment which had arrived by bus. Spotlights were set up and the men prepared for a search party. The detective looked around.

"So far no sign of our 'friend' – no storms, no hail, no nasty little bugs or whatsoever", he said. "Perhaps he has noticed that doing lightshows isn't very helpful if you want to go into hiding somewhere."

"No." The Medjai had answered with deadly sincerity. "The creature can't control the plagues that way. They are like his skin. He can cover the force for a short time, but never completely. They will rise again if he feels any emotion, hate, anger, fear... He will summon the plagues even if he would not want to."

Cramer made a little snorting sound and searched for the last cigarette in his pocket. He could find none. Only this little memo with the transcriptions of this 'Book of the Dead', which he had taken from the now escaped prisoner was still in his jacket. Great! He turned to one of his fellow officers to 'borrow' a cigarette, not one of his favourite brands, but well… it would do.

"Ah, so let's just hope it's nothing out here making him angry or frightened. I'm not in the mood for thunderstorms or insects right now. Hadn't even time to change my clothes in the office! By the way", he continued, finally smoking his cigarette and slightly relaxing, "what in God's name brought your ancestors to put a curse on this man, so he would be that a danger to their posterity?! I mean – no offense to your traditions – but whatever he did in the ancient times, why not simply execute him then and – over? He would be dust already for 3000 years, instead of annoying us today? I just don't get the picture, you know."

"He wasn't supposed to be released. This was what the Medjai should prevent."

Cramer shrugged. "Seems to me you're all in the same boat! Watching and guarding a thing you have created yourself forever... Well... no time for philosophies right now!"

"Indeed." However, Ardeth began to ponder about things which never crossed his mind before these days.

Rick O'Connel went over to them. "We should go in", he said and pointed to the Great Pyramid. "I'm sure they are in there."

"Not before we haven't secured the area. I don't want any surprises", the detective decided. "And..." He turned to one of his men, "... Lt. Farouk? Go and inform the Antiquities Department that we MIGHT have to raise a little dust in the pursuit of a criminal. Just in case."

**=== In the Great Pyramid at Gizah ===**

Imhotep, Evelyn and Achmad had arrived shortly after the police. But because they approached from a different angle and their aim was not the common main entrance, they managed to slip by. At the moment, Evelyn was following Achmad through a rift between the stones down a narrow pathway in the fundament to a little rough cut platform. In the light of the lamp she discerned faint signs on one of the large stones, written in the old demotic script.

"I go first", said Achmad, taking their lamp. "I'll check if everything is alright, and then bring more lights! I have to go deep and it will take a while, don't worry!" He seemed older now, committed to his task and eager to fulfill it.

Evelyn saw the boy touching the stone with the withering inscription. It recessed with a slight crunching sound and gave way to a hidden passage. Achmad pulled himself up into it and waved back as if it was only a child's play. A short time Evelyn could still hear his movements. Then it was silent again and dark except for the moonlight finding its way through the rift.

She turned around and realized that Imhotep was still standing there and didn't make the smallest attempt to come down the few missing steps to her.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, more worried then she would admit.

"I can't… go in there." These words alone were difficult enough. He still felt somewhat sick after the ride in the car, but now he was nearly overwhelmed by fear, which took his breath and let his knees buckle. Suddenly his skin was wet with cold sweat. The corridor was narrow, all too narrow and dark… like a grave… "I'll suffocate in there!" How ridiculous, he thought, if it only would be that easy to die! He would not and he could not die! He died 3000 years ago! At least this was what his logical mind told him now. Nonetheless, his body had other ideas and he was not able to make the slightest move in Evie's direction. He felt exactly as helpless as then, when he was in the preparation chamber at Hamunaptra, bound and speechless and Ramses began to recite the Hom-Dai over him… He even had the vivid impression his heart would race so fast that it would explode in him at any moment. Nonsense! For there was no beating heart in him; he was undead, walking only through the magic of dark powers, and his breathing was only a mockery not needed to sustain him!

"No, there's plenty of air!" Evie answered. "Come on!"

"I… can't…; I can't do it!" He was ashamed of his behavior and frustrated. Where was the need for the gods to strip him from the last bit of pride? It was all he still could claim his own…

Evelyn had walked back to the entrance. Now she touched Imhotep's arm, understanding how he felt. This ambiance had to be frightening indeed for a man who had been buried alive! And more so, whose soul had been linked by force to his decaying body in this very grave for millennia!

"We have to go in, it is our only chance!" she continued, holding him tight now and sensing his opposition to her mercy slowly vanish. "Remember why we are here, Imhotep! To free you from the curse! You HAVE to go in! You can do it, believe me! You are strong enough, and … I am with you!" She looked into his eyes as if she tried to build a mental rope. "You can do it, Imhotep! You can do everything you want!"

"Yes… Everything…" he whispered barely audible. "But … without you I'm nothing…" What was his pride anyway – he would soon be dead! He regarded her face, tried to cherish every single trait of it, every little spark the moonlight produced in her eyes. He didn't want to miss a tiny bit of her. If he had to die, at least he wanted her beauty imprinted in his mind for these last moments. Their glances were locked not only to cross the chasm of fear, but the abyss of hell itself. All the emotions he had tried to bury during the last hours flooded over him.

"Evelyn, I wish I had…"

"Don't say anything." Her fingers closed his lips, and then wandered down over his chest, stopped right there were a mortal's heart would be, partly touching his medallion and sensing its embedded power. The strange pulsing let Evie almost think she could feel his heart beating ... for her. For her alone, as a gift by Osiris himself. In a brief flashback, she saw herself again kneeling in the temple of Osiris and praying for her beloved. This time, no desperation and no anger was part of the memory, simply a sense of ... accomplishment. The moment caught her like a spell, which pushed the world outside far, far away in a non-existent state, left only Imhotep and her in a shelter between time and space, a last refuge before the end. Now, in the face of near death all other things had lost importance. She couldn't simply walk away, she couldn't keep silence anymore.

"I ... love you."

The words were drawn from the deepest parts of her soul. Evie felt as if a giant rock had been lifted from her. Tears of joy and pain filled her eyes and through the veil she saw Imhotep smile for the first time. A warm and radiant smile full of innocent happiness. "I love you", she repeated. "So much…"

Not so long ago he had thought of Ancksunamun-Evelyn's existence here as a final and especially cruel punishment of the gods, but at this moment he realized otherwise: it was a blessing to have her at his side! He would be able to face, whatever the gods had prepared for him. With her love, nothing could hold him back!

They kissed and caressed each other with the growing passion of two people well aware that the relentless time was prepared to tear them apart again very soon. They didn't even notice the faint gold-red glow emanating from Imhotep and forming some sort of aura around them…

**=== Same time / Outside the pyramid ===**

The night was already cold and Rick O'Connel stamped his feet on the ground to get a little warmer, while he was waiting. Waiting, waiting, it was all they did here! He muttered a curse and pushed the boot against the sand. The police was orderly in position for a while now and nothing happened. Of course, it was better than some hell would break out around them! However, he had the particular feeling that something quite bad WAS happening right now, unnoticed from them. He was resolved to take the things in his hand, if Gordon and the police were not ready to do so! Half way to the detective, Rick noticed a gold-red glow on the sand some meters away, outside the range of the spotlights.

"What the hell –" He turned around and never finished the sentence. The Great Pyramid had a glowing golden light at the eastern wall, not far from the ground. It was nothing on the outside, so far as he could see, the glow seemed to come from the inside and penetrating the stones. It was something unreal, surreal, supernatural…

"Hey!" He cried over to the nearest police officer. "Look at that! We should really go in! There's something nasty on its way, if you ask me!"

Ricks discovery resulted in agitation and irritation throughout the whole police detachment. Shortly after, eight of the men with Rick and Gordon Cramer at the top hurried towards the main entrance of the pyramid. The strange gold-red glow was already gone by now, but this reassured none of the men.

**=== Somewhat later / In the pyramid ===**

Imhotep and Evelyn followed Achmad through the last passage. They had stopped counting how many narrow steps and rifts they had crossed and Evie had lost every imagination of their whereabouts inside the pyramid, though she knew the excavation plan of the building well. They had crawled most of the time and were covered by sand and dust, as they now emerged in a larger room – and felt like a fallen angel must feel if he is suddenly snatched back to heaven. Not only there was space around them, after the claustrophobic passages a relief itself, there was light coming from two small fire pits, air reaching them through a complicated ventilation system in the ceiling and most of all: colors! All the walls of the room were covered with pictures and hieroglyphs. They looked as if painted yesterday and the fire glinted over the gilded parts. At the rear wall a statue of Osiris together with several other gods was erected. It was marvelous! A piece of the ancient world, a gate to its wonders, preserved in the heart of the Great Pyramid!

Evelyn stood there mouth open to admire the archaeological discovery of the millennium. Imhotep wandered around, astonished the same after he had seen other temples forgotten and in ruins. There were the descriptions of the soul's journey through the underworld, the judgment of the soul… The myth of the creation of the world and the wide spread wings of the goddess of the sky… Some representations were slightly altered, for they were in fact approximately 1000 years younger then the ones Imhotep had known in his era. However, nothing unfamiliar. There was the inscription he was looking for! The hymn to Re with the incantation of the holy scarab! He looked up to the ceiling where an infinity of gold painted stars gleamed on a dark blue background, then back to the wall and touched the great hieroglyphs meaning 'life' and 'purity' with an almost aching desire. _Life! Love! Evelyn!_

Something like an electric surge shot through him and he pulled his hand back immediately. The sparks had left black burnings on his fingertips. Life and purity – not for him. Not yet. Osiris had just reminded him of that. He stepped further in Achmads direction, standing near the small altar table at the foot of the statues, looking very solemn and regal despite the dirt and dust. Imhotep wanted to thank him for all his family, his ancestors and the boy himself had accomplished, but remembered this was not possible without speaking his language. At least he would make a small gesture of his gratitude, and later –

He stopped in his thoughts and in his steps, caught by a symbol in the stone floor. It was partly covered by the fundament of the altar and abraded. It seemed old, older than this temple of the Keepers. And the aura emanating from it was different from the one Imhotep had sensed so far in this place. It was of similar strength, but … darker. Yes, dark, very dark, cold, and evil! It teared at him…And there were whispering voices…

He stumbled backwards and nearly fell. "What is this?!"

Evelyn ran at his side, discovered the sign in the floor herself. "The 'seal of the underworld'…" she suspected, and Achmad nodded.

"Father told me, one of our forefathers had a revelation to 'build' the temple at this place", he said. "But I don't know why. It must be very old. Father said, older than time itself."

"Older than the pyramid", Evelyn murmured, looking closer at the sign. "I'm sure of it. This would mean…. The pyramid was built on top of it!"

**=== Somewhere else inside the pyramid ===**

Meela moved forward through the narrow passages like in a trance, following the pictures she had seen in her visions. She touched the stones with the old inscriptions, found the entrances and hidden steps, went deeper into the pyramid. Now she already could hear the voices of the others… Lord Imhotep and his two companions… Evelyn Carnahan and this native boy…. Inside her was fear. Fear of the things which might come, of what she would be once joined with the 'Dark Lord of the Underworld'. Nonetheless, the steady whisper in her head urged her to move, pulled her forward.

….

Approximately 20 meters above Meela Detective Cramer and his men just came to a halt in the 'Gallery of the King'. "There's nothing here", the detective said exhausted, wiping over his forehead and blinking against the running sweat. It was unbearable hot in here. "I'm sure our friend sits outside the pyramid meanwhile and laughs at us!"

"No, they ARE here", contradicted Rick and walked further. "I KNOW!"

"Ah, so you have developed visionary qualities!" Cramer was beginning to fall in a cranky mood. "I suggest –"

"Silence!" Rick had stopped, tilting the head against the eastern wall of the gallery. "Don't you hear that?"

"What? Rats?"

"Chanting! – Oh my god, can't you here it?! It is down here! The creature is down here! We have to push trough somehow! He tries to kill Evie again!!!"


	15. Chapter 15 Die for you once more

**Chapter 15**

**"I'll die for you once more"** (Blutengel, Song "Die for you")

**=== In the Great Pyramid ===**

Imhotep had been about to get up, but now rested like frozen in his semi-kneeling position, his gaze still fixed on the ancient seal in the ground. "This is it! The place, where the Dark Ones are locked in", he murmured with strangely hollow voice. He heard them whisper again with smooth and seducing intonation, felt them pulling at every part of his immortal body with millions of agony inducing fingers and yet – irresistible, compulsive through the link of the Hom-Dai.

…_.Do you not wish to take revenge? The man who has killed you last year in cold blood is here… is approaching… to take this woman from you again! The Medjai is here, too….. Do you not wish to purge the earth from all impurity? Do you not wish to revive the ancient glory?...._

"Silence! You are impurity yourself!" Imhotep hissed through gritted teeth.

…_.Still so arrogant and self-confident, High priest?.... _Suddenly the bodiless voice had a characteristic sound and face: Ramses! Dark cold eyes and a dark cold smile. _…In fact, you ARE like us, you are us: impurity and abomination!...._

Imhotep struggled to his feet, severing the possessive connection through physical action.

Evelyn regarded him worried. "Imhotep?"

"I'm going to destroy them! I am here to destroy them!"

"What… do you mean?"

He made a gesture through the surroundings, looking deeply and serene into her eyes. "This is not only an archive of the past, not only a temple! As the boy said, this sanctuary was built here on top of this seal to the underworld, following a revelation. A vision given to a priest of Osiris! That means the god himself wanted it to be exactly HERE, where I should be one day, too. Look around, my love! This is MY temple! The representations on the walls, they are not anyone, not a Pharaoh making his offerings to the gods as usual! It is me, Evelyn! I am supposed to fight this battle on behalf of Osiris! Let us begin!"

He didn't say a word about the warning that Rick and the Medjai already were under way, and also not, that he now believed more firmly than ever, he might not survive this fight. He didn't want to cause her pain, fearing to lose his own resolve to go through this. However, he took Evelyn in his arms and savoured her warmth, her fragrance and her breath for several seconds.

"Whatever will happen", he said, "you must promise me, that you will finish the incantation by all means! I will initiate it as it is my duty, but I don't know if I'm able to recite it till the end. But it MUST be done, Evelyn, or I will be damned again into the darkness of the undead, and this time we have no sceptre of Osiris to release me once again!"

"I promise…"

"Our love will endure", he assured her and turned towards the statue of his god. "Ask Achmad if he is familiar with the placing of the incense and the answers to the first praise of Osiris!"

"Homage to thee, O Osiris, the lord of eternity,

the king of the gods,

thou who hast many names,

whose forms of coming into being are holy …

thou art the operative and beneficent Spirit among the spirits,

thou drawest thy waters from the abyss of heaven,

thou bringeth along the north wind at eventide

and air for thy nostrils to the satisfaction of thy heart…"

Evelyn's eyes followed the rows of hieroglyphs on the wall with outmost concentration. She tried to shove all other thoughts in the back of her mind, as Imhotep chanted the first hymn. He stood in front of the altar, arms stretched and head bowed and the pectoral with the scarab on his chest. His voice was deep and loaded with eagerness and emotion. Evie thought if ever a god had listened to the intensity of a prayer of his priest, he had to give his attention and mercy to Imhotep!

The company of the gods sing praises unto thee,

and the starry gods of the Underworld bow down with their faces to the earth…

Thou hast given thy might unto the gods,

and thou hast created the Great God;

thou hast thy existence with them in their spiritual bodies…"

Evie's concentration broke as a white-blue light emerged from the hieroglyphs for "life" and "purity", joined in a blinding spin on top of Imhotep and crushed down on the scarab pectoral. For a moment Imhotep was bathed in light, and then she saw him 'split' into a translucent form of glowing white and a body which seemed to decay and dissolve the very minute. He fell to his knees, screaming, and Evie's mind cried out in pain. She had to fight the instinctive urge to grab him and pull him away from the reaping light. It took all her strength to keep her promise and turn her eyes again on the inscriptions. Strength to continue! Did she pronounce the words properly? She was trembling and the light so blinding_._

_Please, Osiris, I beg you… I beg you for Imhotep… let him live… save him!_

The next holy texts were the precious praise of Amun-Ra, the one which should have been engraved in the scarab pectoral.

"Hail Ra, one god living by truth, maker of beings, author of existences…

lord of heaven, lord of earth…

self-formed double essence that was in the beginning…

You repose, gracious with glad heart, in the horizon of Manu, where you shine on the gracions god, lord of eternity, ruler of the nether world.

You give illumination to the beings departed there: they see your glories,

Spirits of the West rejoice when you beam on them, the lords of the deep are glad at heart when you illuminate the West, their eyes open to see you,

their heart delights as they behold with acclamation your form above them;

faultless their divine limbs are born, you frame them in their completeness, you rise…"

Slowly Evelyn saw the two forms of Imhotep coalescing and melting again in a series of flashes. Now the angry red glow from the seal in the floor became stronger.

...

Meela was advancing cautiously, tried to avoid any sound. Her breath was already loud enough! She stood now right behind the entrance to the temple, and she watched the strange ceremonies with astonishment and fear. This seemed far more, far bigger, than she had expected it! Nevertheless, the voices in her mind which never had remained completely silent the past few hours were back with renewed strength now. They forced her view and her will to one point: the other woman. The reincarnation. The one who could hinder the fulfilment of her task: Evelyn Carnahan! Time was already running short; she had nearly finished the incantation... Then, Imhotep would be free_....Now! Do it NOW! Think of the reward!..._ Meela raised her weapon. This time the bullet won't miss its target, she would assure that! She aimed calmly and – shot.

Evelyn was reading the 3rd hymn to Amun-Re, as the white hot pain transfixed her. With the last strength she could muster, she turned to Imhotep. Their looks crossed, but she couldn't say anything.

Imhotep saw her fall, but held by struggling energies he was not able to reach her."Evelyn?!"

He forgot the process of transformation which was going on, forgot the incantations, the pain, even the eternal damnation, only saw her, lying there lifeless with blood flowing freely over the stones. He tried furiously, but could not break the invisible bounds. "Evelyn... no, my Evelyn...no... NO!"

His cry transformed into an inhuman roar, a thunder shaking the earth, disrupting time and space and cracking the door to the underworld sealed so many aeons ago. Tiny fissures appeared in the stone floor, soon widening and exhaling dark putrid fume. It surrounded Imhotep, whose human exterior was now contorted and wretched like a shell harbouring a nasty parasite. Fire rose beneath him as the cracks burst further. The air was clouded by smoke and little electric sparks moved over the walls like hungry snakes. The inscriptions began to fade everywhere, where the fume came in contact with them. They were simply dissolving into dust.

....

"There was a shot! Somewhere inside!" said Rick and his companions nodded.

"But where?" Cramer tried to figure the acoustics out. "Moreover ... who? I doubt that our magic-fellow from the past could fire a gun... and after what I've seen in the museum, he also has no need for it!"

"I don't care!" Rick shouted back ad made a move over the wall. "The sound came from here! There must be another passage or so. We have to go through!"

With that, he grabbed the handrail and pulled, till the metal cracked and gave him a one meter long lever. He pounced it against the suspected stone. "Help me! Come on!"

....

Meela was overwhelmed by pure terror. She stared at Imhotep. "I don't want him..." she whispered, from one instant to another again the little girl forced into marriage with someone she despised and feared. "I don't want him! I don't want any power!" She let her weapon drop. "I just want to be ALONE!" Hands pressed against her head she turned around and fled, running, crawling, as fast as she could away from that hell and that demon prince.

Achmad crouched to the ground. He had seen a black dressed person flee shortly after the shot, but nothing clear. And now there was the underworld coming to life all around him!

…_.Khemosiri! My servant! Hear me! You are needed!..._

"I'm afraid", cried the boy, reclining from the shadowy fingers. "I don't know what to do!" He swallowed dust and coughed.

…_.Achmad!..._ The white light took the familiar shape of his father. _…. You know what you have to do! Read the inscription! Hurry!..._

Now the boy raised his head, jumped up. Right across the room were the hieroglyphs Evelyn had read at last. The upper part already was completely gone. The dark dust just swept over the middle part with the final words of the hymn and the spell! Achmad shouted the words without thinking anymore:

"…you destroy their ills, you set to refresh their limbs,

they adore as you arrive to them,

they occupy the front of your bark as you set in the horizon of Manu, renewed as Ra each day!"

Like a snake the entity of light wrapped itself around the howling dark demons, fangs and claws from pure energy biting in one another in a deadly fight. Shrieks and screams of inhuman terror and wrath filled the air. Then the world faded into the blackness of nonexistence, at least for Achmad…

....

Rick O'Connel struck the final blow. The stone gave in and he fell down through a debris filled passage in another dark, awful smelling room. From somewhere inside, he thought to hear a faint sobbing. While the others climbed after him, Rick fumbled for his flashlight. It lay only a short distance from him, thank God! The light cone wandered over a dusty place with cracked walls, looking highly instable. Some shattered stones covered the floor. There was the sound again!

"Evie?"

Rick held the flashlight higher and discovered a boy, the same he already had seen a day ago in the museum. What did he do here? He stepped closer. "Hey, little one… are you hurt?"

The boy blinked in the light. "N…n…no", he managed shaky. "I…I..have… finished the … inscription! S...someone...shot…Miss Evelyn..."

"It's okay. Everything is okay." Detective Cramer had reached the boy, speaking to him now in Arab. "Don't worry. We get you out." He padded the boy's back and labelled the whispered words about fighting gods and demons as shock-caused.

Meanwhile Rick had moved further and the light now glared on long, curly hair… He felt everything inside melt in pain. "Evie…?" She lay there, in an awkward position on the floor, face turned down and a pool of blood beneath her. He lifted her body up, stroke over her face in desperate search for any sign of life. But there was none anymore. Her skin was cold… dead…Then Rick's glance was caught by another figure lying on the ground next to Evie, only an arm's length away, covered with dust, ashes and blood. Imhotep! Obviously injured, but as his breathing revealed, definitely alive! His right hand was clutched around some sort of amulet, now half melted into a seal-like engraving on the floor...

_Injured?_ The realization slumped in Rick's mind with deadly precision. Injured meant: mortal! With one arm still holding Evelyn, Rick drew his gun. He was on the absolute edge of his feelings.

"NOW I will blast you to hell," he murmured, "and I hope you'll burn forever for killing her!!!"

...

Imhotep slowly turned his head, opened his eyes and recognized the man who had spoken with sensible hate in his voice, even if he didn't understand the words._ So you are here, finally... _His lips parted, but he was too weak to speak. O'Connell pointed his weapon at him, closed the finger around the trigger. Imhotep's gaze sunk from the gun to Evelyn. _Kill me... what are you waiting for? I have nothing left in this world..._

...

"Rick?" Gordon Cramer put his hand on his friend's arm. "Stop this. There has been enough death already. I won't let you make things worse."

"Worse?! This damned bastard has murdered Evie!"

"I don't think so. I found a pistol – our missing police gun – near the entrance. So far as I can determine, Evelyn was shot in the back, from the entrance."

Rick hated the scientific coldness of his friend; he hated the whole world and the destiny which had taken Evie from him. Most of all he hated seeing this detestable abomination of nature in front of him breathing while his beloved one was dead! This was not FAIR! If he could finish HIM, perhaps he would feel better...

"Rick, please! If this man has done anything, it's my job and a court will sentence him."

Slowly O'Connel's arm lowered down, more due to exhaustion as conviction.

Detective Cramer sighed and searched in his pockets for a tissue to wipe the sweat and dust from his face. What a day, or better, what a night! Again! Though, he found not what he was searching for and sighed again. Never was anything there were it should be! Only this idiotic little book with these transcriptions, which he carried around for two days now! Unnerved, Cramer yanked it out of the pocket and threw it away on the debris.

"'Book of the Dead' – seems it served a purpose in summoning all bad luck!"

It made a dull sound as the little memo hit the ground.

"The 'Book of the Dead'?" This was Achmad's surprised voice, and Cramer turned towards the boy.

"Yes, it's the official title, some ancient egyptian mythol-"

"I mean, YOU have the 'Book of the Dead'?" The boy's eyes were suddenly large as saucers and he seemed to have forgotten the miserable situation in which they all were. "The sacred spells? In there?" Achmad pointed to the battered notebook, but didn't wait for an answer. He ran over himself, took it and opened it with a reverence astonishing the detective. "Yes! Yes it's all there in Arab transcription! We can bring Miss Evelyn back!"

The detective tried not to sigh again. The child was obviously under shock and needed care... He stepped slowly in his direction, musing about some soothing words.

But Achmad had already begun to read some weird sounding things in the ancient language. Cramer felt irritated and stopped in his way, not sure what to do.

Rick watched the boy the same, a strange look floating over his face. He remembered. Last year, in the underground of Hamunaptra, when he came to rescue Evie... These were the words this damned High priest spoke to resurrect his long gone mistress! Could it be...? Could it be possible, really possible?!

...

Hearing the familiar incantation, Imhotep forced himself back from the drowsiness which had begun to claim him and opened the eyes again. _Achmad, little servant of Osiris... a worthy one... bring my Evelyn back... _But then the pain and desire in him gave way to another realization. _He defies the gods again by doing this! Like me..._ He tried to speak, but could only moan. With considerable effort he raised his head a little to see the 'seal of the underworld': The engraving was dark, the scarab-stone from the pectoral melted in the middle of it. _Let it be strong enough..._he said in a silent prayer to Osiris. _And... forgive him. He is still... so young and innocent! If you need a sacrifice for all these sacrileges, take me! _

---

(well, that's enough for today, work is waiting! Tbc asap, I promise.)


	16. Chapter 16 Anywhere

(Author's note: I know, some people will be disappointed, but there was no way to please everyone…)

**Chapter 16**

**"I go with you anywhere" **(Blutengel, Song "Stay")

**=== In the Great Pyramid ===**

…_It is not your time to make a sacrifice…_

Imhotep stirred. It had been a long time, a very long time, since he had received a message of Osiris that clearly. Drifting between unconsciousness and mind ripping pain he was nonetheless able to see and hear his god without flaw.

…_You have suffered enough. You are free from the claim of the Dark Ones. The curse is extinguished… However, the scales of the balance are not yet stable… The powers are still shifting… There is a door through which the Shadows might find their entrance again one day…_

"_Not the boy, please!" _Imhotep found himself pleading once again, although knowing that the justice of the gods was nothing to bargain with. However, he hoped. He simply hoped… "_He is so young and his heart is pure." _

…_Yes, I already discovered that. The servant Khemosiri has passed through my judgment before he was born. His balance is stable. It is not him the Dark Ones might claim if they found out…_

"_I do not… understand…"_

…_You have given life at a time when you were still boun__d to give nothing but death. The curse left an imprint…_

"_I…do not… understand." _Imhotep fought against the spreading numbness in his mind; he didn't want to lose his grip on life. The voice of his god faded. Did he hear anything at all or was it just his imagination?

…_You will when time comes…. Until then, you have nothing to fear. Live, Imhotep!..._

"…Live!" The final word of Achmad's reading merged in the mental whisper of Osiris. For a moment time seemed nonexistent, every movement suspended.

Rick watched Evelyn's face, hoping against all his 20th century rationality. Imhotep regarded her same, knowing the power of the ancient magic won't fail. Under the desperately waiting eyes of both men Evie's heart began to beat again, slowly and nearly unnoticeable at first. Then her pulse grew stronger and a faint sigh escaped her.

Achmad smiled radiantly. Detective Cramer cleared his throat nervously, not believing at all what just went on in front of his eyes.

"Evie? Darling? Can you hear me?" Rick's voice was husky.

Her eyelids fluttered. "Rick?"

"I'm here!" He embraced her more tightly but suddenly was afraid to squeeze this little flame of life again. "I'm here; no one will hurt you anymore!"

"Where…Imhotep…"

"Don't worry. He is incapacitated right now, out of business! You are safe!" Rick tried to reassure her, but was irritated the same moment as he discovered the fear and pain sinking in her face after these words.

He sensed her heart beating faster, searching for strength to move. Eventually she succeeded in tilting her head slightly and seeing the ancient High priest.

"Imhotep…"

"E..ve…lyn…" He looked at her through a shroud of pain.

Without thinking of Rick or anybody else anymore she extended her hand and grasped his burned fingers.

"Don't leave me", she whispered.

"Never… again!"

Detective Cramer seized the situation before Rick could do anything he would regret later. With the calmness of a man used to all kinds of dangerous situations and unpredictable men as well, he walked to Rick, Imhotep and Evelyn, while gesturing over to the other police officers arrived in the meantime. "Well! We have two people here who need urgent medical attention, and we need to get out of here as soon as possible! Aziz, Kemar, lend me a hand! – Rick, please step aside! Would be nice if you could take care of the boy! Please! We do not know how long this room will stay stable!"

…

Meela stumbled down the last few meters from the pyramids base into the desert and crumbled to the ground. She lay there in the sand, head covered with her arms, until voices in some distance caught her attention. In the first morning light, she saw a group of people leaving the entrance of the pyramid: police officers carrying two persons, and a man in civilian cloths, a boy in his arms. Meela had the feeling to know these people, but strangely, she couldn't remember… She even couldn't remember what she was doing here…

**=== One week later / Cairo / Central Hospital ===**

Imhotep studied the white painted room for the umpteenth time, but of course, nothing new since the last check. It was boring. He hated to be confined in this bed and do nearly nothing. He was not allowed to stand up and walk around, and a considerable part of his body was still covered with itching bandages. Another thing that made him feel highly uncomfortable, because of its reminder of the torture in Hamunaptra… Of course, the bandages were applied to help his skin heal, nonetheless he wished them away. Besides, he must not say a word, for officially he was Evelyn's deaf-mute cousin from the desert! But what could he speak to this people here anyway?! So all what was left was thinking and watching the doctors and nurses doing their jobs – he was curious about so many things, but surprised the same, how much knowledge was obviously lost – and to wait for Evelyn's visits.

Achmad had visited him twice, too, and brought him one of his old schoolbooks with pictures and words in his language on the pages. As they were sure no one of the hospital's personnel would overhear them, the boy had started a lesson. It was an odd situation. Back then in the ancient times, Imhotep had been a teacher for the children in the temple, among them Mentechepre, and now HE was the disciple of a 12-year old! Nevertheless, he was eager to learn, first the language, so he could share some of his knowledge with this young servant of Osiris. Achmad and his family had sacrificed so much over the centuries, there had to be a way to repay them at least a little … somehow.

In one of these endless hours, Imhotep wondered how it would be having children of his own. He was sure Evelyn would be a loving and caring mother, but he didn't know, if the gods had given him the grace to make her the gift of a child. Perhaps it would be only better if not; he didn't delude himself, there was much, much work for him ahead to even adjust to this new world. He knew that the bond of love between Evelyn and him would be strong enough to overcome the obstacles (in fact, there were only minor ones, compared to the barriers existing between them under the rule of Pharaoh Seti)! However, he did not want to load any more weight on her shoulders, as long as he was not able to carry the most of it!

Moreover, there was this cryptic vision given by Osiris to him in the pyramid. _The curse left an imprint… Where? How? And was there something he could, he should do about it? _He had thought it repeatedly and sometimes wasn't sure anymore he had heard it all. Perhaps it had only been his blurring mind… It was no use pondering about it again!

Sighing, he grabbed Achmad's schoolbook and opened it again.

**=== Central Hospital / Another room ===**

Evelyn looked up and recognized with some surprise her brother. "Jon... What are YOU doing here?"

"To be honest, I don't know. I packed my bags right after Meredith... ah, this is not interesting right now! I simply thought... Well, I travelled after you, thought you might perhaps need some help with... whatsoever. I know, I'm not always very helpful, but..." He shrugged and smiled. "You are my little sister, Evie! I stayed in Alexandria, because there was no trace of you or Rick. Until last week, when I heard you had nearly demolished the Great Pyramid! Last time we met, you ruined the library of the Egypt Museum and this time... eh, you are quite a chaos girl! At least you smile a little again." He hugged her and sat down beside the bed.

"I'm glad you're here, Jon", she confessed.

"Oh, I see it was worth the trouble, because it's the first time you say something like that to me! How are you?"

"I'm still so confused. So much has happened."

"I know, Rick told me. I'm sure –"

"You talked to him? He doesn't want to see me anymore, Jon... I would like trying to explain everything... but..." She buried her face in her hands. "I'm so sorry!"

"Hey, don't cry..." Jonathan hugged her again and felt very responsible for her.

"I'm sorry", she repeated. "Rick still means something special to me; he will stay my best friend – even if I doubt he wants that. But I can't go with him! It would be a lie! I love Imhotep. I always loved him..."

"I understand." This wasn't true, because Jonathan didn't understand a bit of all this reincarnation stuff Rick had talked about. However, it just was important to help his baby-sister!

Evie wiped her eyes. "You do? And... you are not angry at me?"

"Why should I? I remember grandma, you know, she always said ' a woman has to follow her heart'."

"Yes... grandma..."

"I think she regretted her whole life that she did not go with this American to the goldmines; you remember? She always talked about how they met. You have to do what you feel to be the right thing, Evie! Though, if HE hurts you I promise, I ... I will find a way to let him pay!"

"Imhotep won't do that, Jon! He is a good and gentle man."

Jonathan frowned. The memory of the events last year was clearly painted on his face. He tried to put it mildly: "Why didn't he... I mean... why you both didn't discover these ... uhm... reincarnation things last year? You have to admit, he wasn't very friendly to... uhm... most people then."

"He was bound by the curse, Jon. It was not entirely him, who did those things; he was compelled to do them. He was angry and … frightened…"

"Uh-oh… frightened?" _I was frightened, Evie! I really, really was!_

"How would you react, Jon, if your last memory of life is that you were tortured to death, and then you wake up in a decayed body 3000 years later, surrounded by people you do not understand and driven to do things you detest?"

"Panicking?" He smiled weakly and now Evelyn embraced him.

"I was afraid of Imhotep last year; his mind was so clouded by darkness, I couldn't recognize who he was… who WE were together. He felt the connection between us, but because of my reaction, he thought he was mistaken. This was exactly how this curse should work! We should never come together again and he should function as a tool for the Demons to conquer the world."

Jonathan didn't understand her words more then the ones before, but he knew his sister simply wanted to talk about it. Therefore, he let her, and only a while after she had finished he asked: "And what will you do now? You won't come home to England, I suppose?"

"No… not anytime soon, I think. I'll reassume my job in the library at the Egypt Museum. There's still so much to discover…"

This sounded like his little sister! Jonathan began to relax. If Evie had her curiosity back, all would be fine!

**=== Cairo / Police Headquarter ===**

"Good morning, Sir", O'Neill placed some files on the desktop of his boss Gordon Cramer, who was in his office again after two days rest. "Events of the last 48 hours, as requested! Two raids, four armed conflicts in the streets, a fire in a bakery…"

"Good, normal days, then." After all he had been through the last two weeks, this sounded like good old paradise indeed!

"…and a patrol has picked up a woman with amnesia. The description fits in our fugitive and suspect for murder, Miss Meela Nais."

"Ah, that's interesting. Where is she now?"

"In custody at post 12, Sir. A doctor has attended her already; here is his statement."

"Good, thanks, O'Neill."

The assistant grinned happily discovering the hilarious mood of his boss. Today was certainly a good day for a holiday-request… He left through the squeaking wooden door and Cramer took the files about the arrested woman for a closer look. Yes, it was the missing suspect! A mysterious woman, no doubt. During their first encounter, she had been a venom-spreading viper, arrogant and ready to kill. Now the report said she had been simply sitting in the street, crying and begging for food. Either she was one of the clever ones, or a poor victim…

He would figure it out and then … be able to forget things like undead men or the ten plagues of Egypt! Altogether, things could only get better!

It had been a lot of work to come up with reasonable explanations for the events to make his report He sipped his coffee. Hopefully, his superiors would 'buy' the story of terrorists sneaking into the pyramid, the dynamite explosion and the saving-of-the-day part with Miss Carnahan and her 'cousin'! Rick had said he would not say anything in this matter for the record…

**=== Evening the same day / A bar in Cairo ===**

Rick and Jonathan sat on a table in the far corner of the smoky bar and did their best to get canned before midnight.

"You'll get over it, believe me, Rick," Jonathan said again. "Some things are just not meant to be..."

"Ah... don't wanna hear these "all-will-be-fine-stories"..." He dumped his Whiskey glass.

"I only try to help..." Jonathan continued throaty and in his condition obviously ready to embrace the whole world. "Look... such things happen. Happens to me all the time, you know."

"Yeah, really? Happens to you all the time that the girl you wanna marry in a couple of days falls in love with another guy already DEAD for 3000 years? This is NORMAL for you?" He rolled his eyes and sighed.

"I tried to say, it happens all the time that women take another turn. While you were gone, Meredith and I had another date and... Guess what: She told me that she'll depart the next morning for India for her scheduled wedding with governor ... ah, name of this bastard forgotten..." He sniffed. "It is like it is...women..."

"But Evie wasn't that way! Evie was something special! And I know, we – Dammit! It's just not fair!" He muttered several other curses before settling in silence with another glass. He didn't want to talk anymore, but Jonathan hadn't abandoned yet his merciful mood.

"After Meredith was gone, you know," he resumed, "I was nearly ready becoming monk in some reclusive monastery..."

"YOU?!" Rick felt compelled to laugh and choked.

"Yes. But... as I wasn't able to go anywhere that evening I slept on the decision. Next morning I saw the things from a different perspective."

"Imagine that..."

"Life goes on."

"Yeah... life goes on." Rick sounded not convinced at all. "As for me, I'll leave as soon as possible. Perhaps I re-enlist in the Legion..."

**=== Outside Cairo ===**

Ardeth Bay, leader of the Medjai, let his gaze wander over the members of his tribe who had followed him for the final battle against the 'ancient evil of Hamunaptra'. He was wondering about the words to say, now that everything was over and their duty fulfilled. The Keepers had been right, after all. The curse could be annihilated, the 'walking plague' extinguished without killing the Who-shall-not-be-named… Without killing… Imhotep. How strange this name sounded, Ardeth thought, slightly embarrassed and amused. He had been taught like countless generations of Medjai before him to fear and hate a monster without even a human name. Now the monster was gone and a man with a name rested – and it felt weird.

Ardeth watched his men again. They were free, finally. After 3000 years of loyalty and fidelity to Pharaoh Ramses the Great, they were free. Free from THEIR curse. The children of their tribes could learn other things than to watch, fight, and kill. They could live for the future instead of guarding the past. He decided that this would be a good directory for his people.

Spreading his arms he shouted "The Medjai are free! Free for the future!"

---

(Epilogue is still coming... )


	17. Epilogue

Epilogue

=== Egypt / Luxor / 35 years later, around 1960 ===

It was a sunny afternoon and the little white painted house at the west bank of the Nile seemed to radiate. Huge pots with yellow and bright red flowers adorned the terrace and the windows, which mostly were closed with shutters. Only at the east front of the house some curtains were flying out of an open window on the second floor. Imhotep's working room.

At the moment he looked at a stone fragment found some weeks ago by archaeologists from the Netherlands and deciphered carefully sign after sign. The stone had lain in the ground for several hundreds of years and was heavily damaged. He frowned and blinked and tried to adjust the new special lamp in front of him to create sharper contrasts on the old scripture. He was now nearly 70 years old; his eyesight was not as good as it used to be once. He would need new glasses... Perhaps next time when they went down to the city...

But not too soon! He didn't like this overcrowded place; every time he got there, it was more and more stinking because of these distasteful automobiles and motorcycles. He always had the feeling he would suffocate in the streets, if staying too long. Moreover, the noise produced by megaphones and radios! One could not hear the sound of the desert, the singing of birds anymore there!

Imhotep leaned back to have some rest and let the eyes wander over the photographs on the desk. There was the one taken in 1925, on which he held his first born son in his arms – he remembered the day very well; he had been just as uncomfortable in front of the photographer as the baby!

He stood up from the desktop and walked over to the window. From here he could see the building of the 'Research and Restoration Centre', founded by Evelyn and him. It was nearly a wonder that the project had survived the political changes and the war. There had been difficulties, but now it was flourishing again and housed some students from different parts of the world. Parts of which he had never even heard of in the old life... he still mused about this subject sometimes.

He heard footsteps and turned around. Evelyn stood in the doorway, carrying a tray with cups and a teapot. A smile was greeting him and he smiled back. For him she was still the most beautiful woman in the world, despite wrinkles and white hair, and he loved her like the very first day. Behind Evie a little girl about six showed up: Tabila, one of his grandchildren. She spent most of her vacations here, since her mother was on study at Cambridge.

"Hello, grandpa! Do you teach me new words of the ancient language?" she asked while hugging him.

Before he could answer, Evie had put the tray on the table in the corner and said instead: "I'm afraid this isn't possible today, Tabila. Guests are coming."

Not until now Imhotep recognized the four tea cups on the tray. "What guests? I can't remember we had invited anyone..."

"Rick is here. Rick O'Connel and his wife."

The announcement made him wince slightly. "What... do they want?" The memories connected with this man might have been years old, but that didn't make them any better. He had absolutely no desire to meet him ever again in his life. But Evelyn's beautiful eyes let him swallow any further comment.

"They are on a tour through Egypt," she explained,"... and somehow...they found us, I suppose. We are not hiding, after all." She smiled again and kissed him, what broke the last defences in him.

"Good. And they are waiting down in the hall, I assume?"

"Yes, they do."

Shortly after Rick O'Connel entered with a broad-brimmed hat in his hand and looking somewhat like a patriarch with his grey beard and hair. And in a way, he was just that on his hacienda in Paraguay, where he had settled after the last dangerous exploration tour some years ago. At his side was a considerably younger woman with the air of a Spanish duchess, which he introduced as his wife Marcia.

"So you have been lured in the harbour of marriage finally," Evelyn said to break the tension in the room.

"Yeah... got to take my chances before becoming a totally grumpy old man. And ... speaking of grumpy old men whining over the good old times... I thought..." He looked in Imhotep's direction and offered his hand.

"I thought it might be wise to bury old resentments."

After a last short moment of hesitation Imhotep took Rick's hand.


End file.
